Eternity
by mAkeNna.bLaCk
Summary: Bella woke up. With no memories of anything. Who was she? She has no idea. She knows her name, from a strange delusion she had before she wakes up. OK! the summary sucks, I KNOW. JUST-READ-IT!
1. Chapter 1

**_BELLA'S POV:_**

_This fanfiction takes place in Twilight. Its kinda... a different version.... you know? Whatever. You dont get it. Just read it and you'll **eventually**__get what im blabbing about in the next chapter... or the next... or the next - i dont know, like I said this is random. _

_Enjoy!_

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Hi. Im Bella. Im seventeen Years Old-Ish. Birthday: Not sure.

To anyone, that would make no sense. What kind of a person doesnt know when their birthday is. A freak? Some really old person? Truth was, Ive been alive far longer than anyone I know. Ive watched countless old people die-people who I had watched grow up for a distance, and have families, while I stayed frozen, exactly as I am now. Even I dont get that. I can remember other things though. Small, fuzzy things, that I must strain my head to think of. Childhood memories, decades ago... of when I was around eight, or older... Im not going to tell you about them- not that i can remember them vividly.

It all started strangley- when i woke up. Here is my story:

I came to consiousness. Wind whirled my hair around my face. Brown hair... I sat up and looked around. I was in a clearing,nothing but thin wisps of grass surrounding me, swaying in time with my hair. Bruised clouds held me to the earth like a moving cage. That was where I woke, alone, confused.

_Crack!_

A loud noise came from behind me, and I stood up... and fell down with a cry. I realised my right foot was throbbing painfullly. Ouch. Deep purple bruises covered half way up to my shin. I stood up carefully, keeping my weight on my left foot, standing on one leg. I almost fell over again as another loud crack split through the medow once again.

Shifting slowly, I turned to see what it was. There were huge tree branches lying split under a massive tree. I frowned. Trying to remember why that might be important. A wet substance trickled down my forehead. My hand rose to touch it, and I bought it down, dripping with red liquid. What? My forehead stung now. I had a feeling it was bruised. But what was this liquid?

Blood? Yes, that was it. Why was I bleeding? I couldnt remember.

Still looking at my hand, there was snap as yet another tree branchg was broken. The wind picked up, and became so strong that I could hardly stand. Uh oh. The falling branch, instead of hitting the ground was now flying in my direction. I held up my hands atomatically to protect my face and cried out. I stood with my eyes tightly closed for a second. Then I realised something was wrong-sjouldnt the branch have whacked into me by now?

I slowly lowered my arms and looked around me confusedly. Where was the branch? I turned around and stared with shock. A person was standing there, holding the branch like a matchstick. I stood eyes wide, my heart thumping.

This person was strange, I couldnt help but notice in my fear. His eyes were _red_. Burgundy coloured, only slightly darker. The stranger smiled. "See you around, Bella." He grinned painfully and without warning, was gone.

"wait!" I yelled to the trees. "Hey!"

Blackness swirled around me.

I woke up once more, only this time I remembered. The tree branch, the stranger, all stood out vividly in my head. He'd called me Bella. Was that my name? If that was my name, then, who was I? And Why couldnt I remember anything? I shook my head.

The clearing had changed. The colours were deep blue and purple, and I had a feling i shouldnt be able to see... whatever. I took a step forward gingerly and stopped again, perplexed. Wasnt my foot completely wrecked? Where was the pain? I frowned, staring at my complete, perfect leg. And then the other. Both were fine. Had I been dreaming? It had seemed to painful for a dream... But I was sure the mans eyes shouldnt be red. But they were-well, they had been, if he was real. Which I wasnt actually convinced of.

This place was way to weird. I neede someone to tell me where I was-someone to tell me who I was. Bella? The name seemed to fit. Maybe the man was something my conscionus had dragged up to remember my name. Pretty dramatic, I guess, but then again... I shrugged. But even i my name _was _Bella, that didnt mean anything. I could be some famous person, or a lowlife. I didnt know. So I need _someone_. Quickly.

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_Hope u liked- please review!_

_The more reviews I get the more I update._


	2. Chapter 2

_Hope u liked the first chapter. Enjoy this one._

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Find someone. Find civilization. Police.

The one thing on my mind as i wandered slowly throughout the trees,checking my leg every so often, so convinced that the blood had been real, afraid if it came back again and i wouldnt be able to walk.

Trees, trees, trees. Nothing else, no people, no strange red eyed delusions, just me and the trees going on forever and ever.... My head was dizzy. My throat was dry, parched. I needed a drink. I neede to sleep.

A scent wafted through the air suddenly. Sweet, delicious. It fogged my brain. I was so thirsty. My throat ached, and I started running.

The wind whirled around me as i ran, towards the overpowering scent. Ahead there was light, sunlight, different from the murky green of the forest. I burst out of the trees, turning for the smell... craving for it.

A cry burst through the trees. I turned towards it. And saw where the smell was coming from. A person, not red eyed, like my delusion, but blue, and filled with tears. A little girl, red blood trickling from between her fingers, clasped over her arm...

"It hurts... help me..." She moaned. My brain didnt register her talking.... and I stalked forwards, lunging towards the blood. She screamed...

My teeth sank into her arm easily, sucking her blood, her life. Warm liquid eased my raging thirst. Eventually the child's screaming ended, and I dropped her ashy body to the ground.

THats when I realised what I had done. A roll of nausea passed over me.

I had just killed that small girl. I had drunken her _blood. _

Now I screamed. No way. What had made me do that? Why had I done it? Wat had I done to that girl? Nonononono....

Impossible. I wasnt a killer.

I _was _a killer_. _There on the ground-bloodless, lifeless, was the evidence. On my hands was the proof, scarlet. Red handed.

I sank to the ground and sat, staring in disgust at what i had done.

A while later, a call rang through the forest. "Abbigail! Abby? Abby where are you?" I heard the people searching for the dead girl. Panic took me. What if I killed them too? I had to leave. I didnt want to kill. Not little grls, not anyone. I would stay away. I turned and ran.

I tried to distract myself from the pale image of the dead girl. My mind wandered. I kept running. Faster. Faster. Trees falshed past me at two seconds per mile. I was ages away. Yet I stll heard.

I heard the scream of the dead girl ringing in my head.

Who was I? And more importantly, _what_ was I?

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_Review please! THis chapter sux, I know. Others r betta. And sorryz its so sort and stuff, Next will be longer. Promise._


	3. Chapter 2 Continued

Its been about forty years now. I'm living in an apartment. Ive noticed that I dont change- I still look like a seventeen year old.

I have money- money that I stole- Im not proud of it, but i could use it better than the people I took it from.

Dead people. People I had killed. Accidently, of course. I never purposely kill. Its just when the thirst gets too strong- even human food cant help when I get like that.

Human food. I call them humans- because obviously am something else. Humans dont drink blood. I do.

I hide from them. Humans. Because I might kill them. If they bleed and if I smell thier blood. After those first few weeks I noticed the pattern. So did the police- they put up signs to warn about some kind of blooddrinking animal. Me. The way I act is like an animal when I smell blood. Completely run on instincts.

I left that small town. I went somewhere else, and left again, always on the run. And then I came here. Seattle.

I live in the bad side of town. In the cheapest low rate flats, where the drunk men came knocking at your door in the middle of the night. Of course, Im always awake- and drunk people tend to get into a lot of fights, so they bleed. The drunk men are my regular meals, even though it hurts me to do it, but i cant resist. I try. And give in as they stand there making stupid comments.

I curled tighter into my little ball in the moth eaten sofa. It was dark. I was thirsty, and was trying to ignore the loud noises outside. I wanted to sleep- but I couldnt when I was like this, my throat burning dryly.

Moaning quietly to myself, I sucked in a breath through my mouth. I put the pillow over my ears, but even then I could hear the smashing bears bottles, and the arguing lowlifes outside.

_Knock. Knock. _Rough throaty laughs at my door.

"Hellooo..." A mans voice leered. "We know you're in there sugar. Don't make us come in..." More guffaws. I whimpered on the sofa- but the men couldnt hurt me obviously. I would hurt them though...

I wished for the thousanth time that I wasnt so well known around here. Men always saw me, looking perfect, like a human teenager. After I went inside they would tell there friends, and they would come round...

The men outside were getting annoyed. "We know you're in there!" they yelled. I stayed silent on the sofa. Why couldnt they be smart and go away? I knew what was coming.

Mutterings from outside.

"Knock down the door, Ralph..."

"yeah. Theres no other way she could get out..." I wasnt going anywhere anyway.

Then the first voice-louder above the rest. "All right, all right I'll do it."

I heard the men cheer, and get ready for breaking in my door. I hoped that there wouldnt be too many of them. I couldnt have any witnesses. I stood up, the rich smell pulling me into the hall. I stood there, half bathed in moonlight, just waiting. They had to be inside before I killed them. So no-one would see.

The first slam on my door.

The second.

The third- The door came off its rotten hinges, snapping violently. The drunkies cheered again. I saw the party of four men, all bleeding. I noticed they were all buisness men, in posh suits. They stomped in and saw me standing there.

"Hello, darling." The grubbiest one said, stepping forwards over the door step. I prepared my self, so I wouldnt hurt them much. Just a had to the neck. Easily killed, no screams to wake the neighbours

The men were whispering, but I could hear clearly.

"She doesnt look afraid..."

"Never mind that, shut the door! _NO_ evidence remember?" He looked up, while a brown haired man went to stand the door up over the frame. He smiled grimly as he saw pain on my face. Thinking it was fear- not disgust for what I was about to do.

The door was put back. "Now, darling. Dont think fo running now." He leered, coming forwards... I didnt run.

I lunged.

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A while later, I ran with the bodies through seattle, dumping them in each corner of the city. One in a dumpster, two lying dead on a street, the last the furthest away from my house, In a forest ages away.

I was sick, like always with what I had done. I went back to my flat, and fixed the door properly.

In the hall there was a mirror-grimy, like everything else in here, but clear nough to see a reflection. As I past it with my pocket full of cash, I looked at my reflection.

Brown eyes. Matted brown hair. A grubby face. I just looked lkike any other human teenager who lived on the streets. Yet I wasnt.

I was a killer. It didnt matter that I murdered those unfit to live, those drunken lowlifes. They were still people-bad people if anything-and I killed them, robbed them of life, for my own need.

I stared at my reflection in disgust. No-one would suspect me of killing if they met me. I realised that if I lived somewhere else, where there were less people, I would not kill as much. It was my fault for choosing to live here in this place, where I met to many people.

I would have to move. Move countries, even, if that was nessecary. Or just states. But to do either, I neede a passport. Which I didnt have. I didnt even have a birth certificate, or an I.D, Or a drivers license. I only had money. Heaps of it.

It was time to revisit J. Jenks. I'd sought for him twenty years ago, when he was thirty-four, but found his forged documents too pricey- but now I had enough money, I could get whatever I needed.

And I could threaten him, if he proved unco-operrative. I opened the drawer onn the mirror, and fished out a scrap of paper with his adress, and my huge bags of money.

I looked at the pile of cash. It was over flowing, and there was no way I would be able to carry it around with me. I guess I need a bank account as well. I smiled grimly and stuffed the money in a supermarket bag, and took it with me, as I ran out into the night towards J's office.

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_O.K. SO that was chapter 2 part 2. Sorry, but im going to write more chapters in parts. _

_**In the next chapter**: It will be set 38 yrs later,I the 20 century, when bella has been living in Phoenix for three years, after moving from Mexico, where she has lived for a bit. Bella will have ~HEAPS~ more money, and an Audi Coupe(My auntie has one too :) ). _


	4. Chapter 3

Someone knocked at my door. I jumped up from my book with surprise. IN all my three years here in Phoenix, I've never heard that sound. Humans were too frightened or intimidated to visit me. Even the post man didn't dare ring th bell to fetch me. Not tht I got much post of course. No-one knew me well enough.

I hurried to the door, preparing myself to scare t human away, putting on a cold face. I undid the latch.

A man stood there, holding a brief case, wearing a posh business suit. A barely acknowledged that fact.

"Yes?" I asked, my voice purposely icy, making it clear he wasn't welcome.

The man, whoever he was, edged away from me slightly.

"Uh, Good afternoon. Im Mr Dean."

And? I glared.

The man gulped. "I'm a social worker. Are you Bella?"

I nodded, now confused. What was a social worker doing at MY doorsep? They social worker stood there looking at the neatly pruned garden, and spotless garage door…

"What do you want?" I asked, getting impatient.

Humans were so slow sometimes.

"Can I come in?" The balding worker said.

What? I didn't speak, just moved aside to let him into the hall. My house was finely urnished, and I noticed him admiring it- but who wouldn't? All the stuff in here was anicient.

I lead him to the kitchen table and stood there, while he sat down and put on a thick pair of glasses.

I didn't offer him a drink. Tht would have been more polite, I know, but A I didn't have anything to drink, and B I didn't want him hnging around any longer then I could help.

I waited, and he began to look uncomfortable. I stood there, still, forgetting completely that humans never stood like this. Finally, I spoke.

"So what do you want?" I said again.

Mr Dean opened hi brief case. "Im a juvenile social worker." He began "I look after the welfare of those under eighteen years old. How old are you, Bella?"

"Im Seventeen." I said coldly. A lie, of course- I was way older. By roughly eighty years,but, according to my forged passport, it was true.

Mr Dean looked uncomfortable again. "And may I ask-where is your caregiver?"

Ah. I knew where he was getting at now. "People over 16 are allowed to live on there own." I stated.

"And you've been living by yourself-how long?" The balding social worker asked.

"Um, A year and three months. Soft of." Sort of being the fact that I'd lived here a year and three months, but I had lived over eighty years by myself actually.

The man made a note on his clipboard. I frowned. What had I said wrong? And who was Mr Dean, anyway? A social worker, for sure- but how had found out about me? A tip of one of the neighbours? I didn't make it very obvious tht I lived here- for all any stranger knew, I was a ghost.

"And, which school do you go to, Bella?" He asked, looking at me through his thick lenses.

Uh oh. School? I quickly scanned the highschools in the area inside my head. Upton High. Macandrew. Swallow- the mixed primary school. St Johns. Cavanagh…

I gulped. "Cavanagh?"

The man looked at me skeptically. "Please don't lie to me, Miss Swan. Cavanagh is an all boys school."

Oops.

"Im joking."I lied again, "I go to Macandrew High. On Olive street." I kept my face smooth as he checked my face to see if I was kidding again. Finding nothing but acted truth he made aother scribble o the clipboard.

I would of sighed with relief as he stood up to leave.

"Well, we'll be checking on you in a couple of weeks, Bella." He informed me, making my heart pound with worry. "Please donthesitate to call if you need anything." His eyes darted around, looking at the expensive ornaments, obviously relisind I could afford anything.

I nodded anyway leading him back to the front door. I held it open or him. "Thank you, Mr Dean. I'll see you soon then, I guess."

He shot a wary glance back arounf the house, as if hoping for my 'caregiver' to ppear out of the chest in the hall. Smiling weakly at me, he left, closoing the door behind him.

Heart pounding, I sank to the steps as heard the car pll away. What should I do? Anymore social workers, any more investingating, and I might be put in with foster parents.

That wouldn't work. If any of them cut them self, even slightly, with me in the room- I would be in so much trouble. Well, not as much as them,but anyway, they wouldn't get into anymore trouble, because they would be dead. Drained. Lifeless. I shuddered.

I woul have to leave. Again. I was SICK of this travelling. Every few years, ditching my house. This place had seemed great. Hardly any people to socialize with.

Where could I go NOW though? I couldn't let Mr Dean and his friends ask me much more. And what if in the next town I went to, MORE social workers discovered me and my schooless, parentless ways?

No school. No parents. I wished for the billionth time that I was normal. HUMAN.

An idea occurred to me. No. Tha would never work. I would still have to move though-of course. Humans weren't stupid. But… I could still stay.

It would be impossible. But I could TRY.


	5. Chapter 4

_Ok. um. I dont know when I'll update again but I SWEAR it will be a better chapter than this one. Somehow. I need ideas. _

_But wateva. Enjoy!_

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And so I had packed, all the time thinking how stupid this idea was. First I would have to go to Seattle, and bribe J. again. But not for passport and stuff this time- this time I had to create a birth certificate- for me.

There was no way I could get into school without one. And school was essential. I could sty away from every one of the curious human shoolkids. If I had to sit next to one, I woudnt breathe. It was the only way to stop social workers nagging me.

I drove to Seattle in my Audi, my lifes possessions in the trunk. I vaguely wondered whether anyone-apart from te social workers- would actually notice my disaperance. Would I be reported missing? Teenage runaway? I only wondered sparcely- Id done this before, more than once.

I stopped outside the building for J. Jenk's coverup job- Jason Scott's towering office, cursing myself for being late. It would have been faster running, of course, but any human would be suspiciouc if I arrived without a car.

I called J right there in the car, ready to schedule an appointment.

_RING RING!_ The phone rang for ages- was he never going to pick up? I didn't car if he was oin a stupid meeting. This was about what I needed desperately.

Finally. The phone crackled. "Hello Jason Scott speaking?"

"J. It's Bella" I heard the breathing on the phoneline halt for a second. You could hear the immediate change in his voice, fearful. J had learnt not to try cheat me.

"Bella. Im so sorry to have kept you waiting."

"I need papers. Now. Im in a hurry J. I need them in a rush order- I'll pay double, if nessecary-"

I stopped talking and listened to another voice in the backround.

"-I need them sooner, J. This Bella dosent matter. I need you to give them to me sooner than her. And if I don't…" The mans threat trailed off. I wondered why J had speaker phone on. And then J started speaking to me, more fearful.

"Papers? Ill schedule you in tommorow-"

"No J. Tommorow is too late. NOW. "

"But-"

"Im coming in, J." I cut the line and rushed inside. The receptionist was too busy to even notice me entering and sneaking past her quietly.

I took the stairs because they were quicker, in my case. I had to rush. Hardly any schools enrolled in such short notice- and hardly any estae agent sold houses at the snap of a finger.

I paused at J's office door. I heard the human and J talking- or rather, the man threatening and J's voice wheedling worriedly like a wimp's.

"I-I understand that , Mr. Jasper, but-"

"You've never given me papers late before. What's your excuse this time!?"

I knocked on the door-both men stopped arguing- and didnt bother waiting for them to answer it, just stormed in.

They both looked up. I stared at the stranger in surprise. He was unlike any human I had eve seen. He had honeyblond hair, and pale skin, I couldn't help but notice how handsome he was, in a weird way, with big muscly arms. He looked older than me- maybe twenty. But what was the strangest were his eyes.

They were gold, and yet I couldn't see any microscopic sctratches of tinted contacts. Just golden eyes.

His face was confused too, as if he found me strange. Of couse he did- _I_ wasn't human. And I didnt think he was either- he had no scent-at all, in the slightest. Well, he did have a scent- but it wasn't normal- it didn't smell of blood. But it smelt sweet- like lilac and roses.

J was pressed up against the wall in his wheely chair, eyes wide at the sight of both of us. I gathered that we weren't his favourite people on earth.

"Bella." He croaked. I nodded towards him, acknologing that I had heard, while my eyes narrowed as I took in the stranger.

He wasn't moving, only his strange eyes-completley motionless, like me. But he wasn't like me. His eyes stated that.

The stranger straightened up away from J, eyes still wary but with a seemingly strained smile on his face.

"Hello. Im Jasper." He said politely.

"Im Bella. Nice to meet you." I didn't smile. He held out his hand.

I grudgingly took it- and let go in a millisecond. His hand was so ICY. Freezing. Colder than anything I had ever touched- and everything seemed cold to me. But his hand…was so much colder. Like sticking my hand in a snow drift.

Now that _was _strange.

Then I noticed he was looking at me even more warily before.

Damn it, Bella! I thought angrily. You forgot! My temperature ran _way_ hotter than any humans, and to this persons freezing skin, mine must seem hotter than ever. Oops. But then, his hand hadnt felt that good to me either.

Jasper turned back to J. "I want them as soon as possible J. My family and I will be _very_ disapointed if they arrive late. "

J. looked more fearful- if that was possible. "Of course, Mr Jasper. I understand the needs of the Cullen Family."

Jasper turned and whirled out of the room quickly.

J mopped his brow with a blue silk hankerchief, and then seemed to remember that I was here. Fresh beads dewed again on his forehead. He drew out the legal pad I had seen many times before when forging papers.

"Would you like to take a seat bella?"He asked, shuffling through his desk for a pen.

I sat.

"Now Bella- what can I help you with?"

"Papers. A birth certificate."

"For whom?Yourself?"

"Isabella Marie Swan" My made up name which was on my drivers license and passport. J's pen swept swiftly over the legal pad.

"Date of birth?" J asked as he countinued scribbling.

"September 13, 1989."

"Parents names?"

Um. "Lets see... Charlie Swan for the father, and... Renee. Swan. And make a note."

J paused and looked up. "A note?"

"They both died in a car crash last year." J nodded and countinued writing.

I countinued fabricating details of my life, while he gradually filled up the page.

"Hospital?"

"Phoenix. Any hospital-put one of the busiest in." I didnt think anyone would be bothered to check the hospital records for my birth.

J's pen finally stopped stopped. He looked up nervously.

"Thats everything then. When do you need the documents?"

"A week."

J looked uncomfortable. "Thats a rush order-it will cost twice as-"I glared, an he gulped. "But forgive me. I forgot who I was speaking to."

Actually, he obviously was trying to get Jasper's order first.

"Just give me a number. I can afford it." He knew that. But he was looking strained, trying to decide where his loyalties lay. I glowered and his face turned sickly. He mopped his brow again with the silk hankercheif before quickly scribbling down the number on a scrap of paper.

I read it, and nodded. That price was reasonable. I rose out of my seat.

"I guess i'll see you in a week then, J."

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_OK,um... whats wrong again? Oh right. Im offically STUCK!!! My brain has gone completely BLANK. All I know is that at SOMe time, bella is gonna go to FORKS HIGH. Ok. And meet the Cullens. And stuff. _

_BUT... I have no idea what happens in between that. _

_Like... Do I write about Bella getting the documents off J? And when she gets her new house? Or WHY she decides to pick Forks? _

_PLEASE review. I NEED ideas!!! _


	6. Chapter 5

_Ok, guys. Sorry I havent updated in AGEs, ive just bin super busy. New house and stuff. Plus, it willl take ages to update, becuz, I have all the next chapters on my laptop, which is currently stored at home. _

_Im using internet cafe at moment, so use people will have to be patient._

Chapter Five...

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Forks. Ok. It seemed perfect. Everything so far was perfect, in fact.

The house, was brilliant, even though some of the rooms needed redecorarting and stuff. It was far away from any humans, which was good. No prying eyes. There was a huge mass of greenery, just outside the back door. This was also good- seattle wasnt very far away going through the forest of trees. I shuddered at the thought of having to hunt more than usual. Poor humans. Anyway... it wasnt a long trip to the mountains. For me.

So the house and the spots was brilliant. It hardly ever was sunny here in this small town, so i would have the excuse to not linger round in public where people could try talk to me, the newcomer. The orphan.

That was my cover-up story. I was an orphan, parents dead in a car crash a few years back. Instead of staying in a foster home or anything, I'd stayed living alone. I was perfectly old enough to have a place of my own, thankfully, so no social workers would come knocking at my door like that stupid... whatever his name was.

I sighed. I'd gotten the documents of J three days ago, and since then had bought my house, and enrolled in the closest highschool. I'd had a tour of it yesterday afternoon, by a red headed receptionist. It'd seemed all right. Like eveything here, there was a lush pile of greeny surrounding the area. It was just of the highway, a colllection of reddy bricked buildings, all similiar to most houses. It was a comforting school.

Getting up from my bed, in the nicest room of my new house, I sighed.

I knew I had to go hunting. Later on today, i would be in school, with a few hundred humans. The sacfrifice of one human life wasnt so bad if it saved heaps was it?

I sighed again. Of course it was evil. disgusting. But I had to. I didnt want to move. Again.

I climbed out the window, rather than wasting time with the stairs. I landed easily on the ground with no effort, and began running.

Running was so easy for me. I knew that in my new school, i would have to slow down a bit- well, actually, maybe alot. And be clumsy. humans were clumsier than i was. Also, i was pretty sure a normal seventeen year old girl was as strong as I was. They didnt need to hold helpless prey still as it struggled. I shuddered.

To distract myself from vicious thoughts. I countinued editing my role. My character, Bella Swan. Maybe she should be shy? That would give me the excuse to not socialise with the humans. And also I needed a few more props. I had a school bag, and all the essentials for highschool, but didnt humans liek to personalize stuff? Would I have to get some accsessories? a head band or something?

The pondering worked until I hit a scent. Humans. I was around seattle, on the very edge of town. I slowed down and began walking, listening for the sound of bad people. Murders, and drunkies-people that the humans wouldnt miss so much. Killing the bad humans was the one way to pacify myself. by killing them, it eased my mind a litttle. By helping humans-in a way- didnt that make me a little less of a monster?

Whatever. i was always going to be a monster. I sighed, as I caught thte sound of a man throwing botttles at a wall. there was a smell of stale blood around him. I could of resistewd if I wanted-my restrant was much better now, but I knew I had to kill him. I let the smell pull me forwards.

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_There! Next chapter is already written, i just have to download it. _

_Please hit the review button!_


	7. Chapter 6

I got back from the hunting trip with minutes to spare. school. I glanced at the clock. Shoot. I had been so focused on disgust and thirst that I had completely forgotten the hour, and I'd stopped at a shop to buy a few last minute props.

School started in twenty minutes, and my new home was 25min away-if driving really fast. Darn.

I raced upstairs and threw on the first thing I layed my hands on. I grabbed the schoolbag from its hook, and quickly stuffed in a few new pens and books.

I pulled on a jacket-most humans hated the cold- and continued to the door, stopping briefly to see if I looked human. Pulling on the headband, I whirled to my Audi, jamming the key in the ignition and starting it in the same second, and pulled out of the driving. beginning the race to school.

Remembering how to get to the school wasn't diffucult. The school… was like most other things in this drizzly town, just off the almost empty highway.

I pulled in through the school gate,into the maze of maroon bricked buildings

numerous shrubs. Parking outside the house-like front office, I cut the engine. I was sure I wasn't supposed to stop here but, hey, no-one was going to tow an _Audi Coupe_. Not if they wanted to end up paying a massive fine off for the owner.

I hurried down the wet stone path, which was set like an unprganized patchwork of stones, and I took an catious breath outside the door, ready to cut off my breathing, if nessecary.

I opened the door to reveal the familiar office. It hadn't changed at all since last time I'd been here.I liked that-the idea of things not changing. I drew comfort out of that, knowing that, hopefully, my life wqasnt going to be changing for some time after this.

The red-headed Shelley Cope was also still there, behind the enormously cluttered desk. When she looked up, I saw her confusion. And I could tell she had forgotten my name and who I was.

"Can I help you?" She asked.

'Im Isabella swan." I reminded her, and her perplexion cleared.

"Yes. Of course. I forgot." she smilied a little, and I smiled back politely as she dug through a towering stack of documents on her desk. She pulled out a pink-tinged folder, one of those almost see through plastic folders.

"Right. in here, I have your schedule, and a map to remind you where everything is." She bought the folder to the counter and pulled out a form. "Also, this skip-you need each of your class teachers today to sign it for me. I'll need it back at the end of the day, this afternoon when the final bell goes."

I nodded, tucking both the folder and the slip, into my schoolbag.

She smiled at me before I left, and wished me good luck. I smiled back at her. I needed her good luck.

I just wished I didn't, hoping I wouldn't kill anyone today.

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_Please review!!!_


	8. Chapter 7

I sighed, looking at the list Mr. Mason had given me. It was all to simple. I'd read it all, Sakesphere and the classics. I'd been around when they were fairly new. Boring.

I was in English, with a tall, balding teacher. My first class of the day. and, no-one was dead yet. That was a plus.

People had gawked at my car in the parking lot-of course. It was far nicer than the shinest car there, which happened to be a grey Volvo. Just out of my league. The rest of the cars were dumpy pick-ups, chevys and rusty sentras. Definitely out of my league. Mine was black and sleek. The others were rusted with huge paint scratches and such. I couldn't help but feel smug.

I'd rounded the cafeteteria, noticing with relief that many humans had pale skin, slightly darker than mine-but so slightly that mine wouldn't stand out.

I'd been careful to move slowly, and clumsily-remembering that clumsiness was a big part of human nature.

Lost in my reminiscing, the bell startled me. It made an unpleasant, nasal buzzing sound that immediately snapped me to attention.

I slowly gathered my books, and the new reading list. I heard footsteps heading my way. Mr. Mason. I looked up.

I was wrong. Not Mr. Mason, but a gangly teenage boy with skin problems and hair so greasy I could run my car with it. Not that I'd want to of course-by the quality of it, I'd probably also ruin the engine. Ugh.

"You're Isabella Swan, aren't you?"

geek. "Bella." I said, trying to keep the snide tone out of my voice. Everyone within human hearing range turned to stare.

"Where's your next class." he pestered.

I was reluctantly about to answer, when I remembered that a human girl would have o check. Memory. I peeked at my folder. "Government with Jefferson in building six."

Everyone was looking now, except Mr. Mason, shuffling and re organizing his papers at his desk.

"Uh…well, I'm, I'm heading over to building Four. I could, well, I could show you the way." Ugh. Overhelpful nerd. Probably trying to score brownie points. "Im Eric." He added.

I smiled tentatively. "Thank-you?"

I stood up with my books and headed for the door. I looked over my shoulder. He was standing, looking almost frozen. He shook his head slightly and followed me.

we got our jackets, hung on hooks just inside the classroom\m door, and headed into the now pouring rain.

:So, where did you live before here?" He asked as we walked.

I contemplated briefly whether I should tell the truth or not. I decided to. "Phoenix."

"Wow. That's a lot different from here, isn't it?"

"Very?"

"It dosent rain much there, right?"

"Three or four times a year." Not like I ever went out much.

"Wow." he said again. "What must that be like?"

Grrr… Enough with the dumb questions already! I hoped he wouldn't stick around all the time. "Sunny." I told him irritably.

"You don't look very tanned."

He just wasn't getting the message. I wasn't going to make converaation. Shut up! I wanted to scream at him.

"Oh yeah. My mom was totally part albino." I said instead.

He studied my face apprehensively. He obviously didn't want to ask me questions about my 'dead' mom. People edgewd even closer to eavesdrop.

But we walked in sweet silence to the building near the small gymnasium.

eric walked me right to the door. Like I was a blind person who couldn't see and read the huge '6' painted on it in white.

"Well, good luck." he said nervously, when I began to open the door. "Maybe we'll have more classes together." Annoyedly, he sounded hopeful/ Yeah right. Like I would ever let him near me again.

I smiled vaguely at him and went inside, shutting the door I his spotted face.

The rest of the morning passed in the same way-not, I mean like some rewtarded egghead coming and offering to lewt me walk to class. Sort of differently. But still the same way.

Mr Varner, whom I hated at first sight was the only human teascher who made me stand in front of the class of humans and introduce myself.

acting carefully, I stammered, attempted to make myself blush, and finally tripped carefully on the way to my seat.

After both my two , and eventually, three classes, there was always someone brave enough o come to me and introduce themselves after the end of a lesson. They'd ask me dumb questions about Phoenix, and I rushed away fromt hem at first opportunity.

One annoying girl, Jessica, sat next to me in Trig and Spanish. She walked with me to lunch, impossible to shake off. Tiny, with wild, dark curls that bounced as she continued to prattle about seemingly everything. I didn't bother trying to keep up with her inane blabber.

Shge dragged me-well, I followed her grudgingly, to a table of her friends. I tried to sit fartherst from everyone, but Jessica shoved me weakly into a seat in the center, already introducing me to her friends.

My mind wandered as they all attempted to make conversation-I tried ignoring them, "mmming." and "ahhing.." as I surveyed the cafeteria.

I was there, attempting to ignore all the humans around me, that I first saw them.

* * *

ooohhh! The Cullens r cuming into mi story!!!

I have the next chapter ready, i just have 2 type it up!!! So excited!!!

Here r sum spoilers:

Edward

Edward

edward.

There.


	9. Chapter 8

I stared in puzzlement.

They were sitting in the farhest corner of the cluttered cafeteria, the five of them.

Unlike the other humans everywhere in this room, they werent talking, eating the untouched trays of food infront of them, or anything that I noticed.

They didnt look alike... but there was something... I frowned as I tried to work out whatever my subconcious was trying to tell me, sitll looking a them.

Of the two boys sitting beside each othe, one was big-muscled like one of those humans who spend every minute of their short-lives lifting weights. The brawn didnt mean much to me- I was stronger han any human I had encountered. But he was intimidating, under his dark, curly hair.

The other boy beside him, was honeyblond, taller, but still almost just as muscled as the dark haired boy. His face seemed slightly... strained. Like it was a pain to be sitting where he was. On his left side, was a small dark-spiky haired girl, resembing a pixie in her thiun features. She was tiny.

There was another girl , blond, and tall, with a figure that made all the other humans-excpt for the four around her- look hideous in comparison. She sat closest to the brawny boy.

The finalone of the five was a lanky boy, less bulky that either of the other boys, with an untidy muss of bronze hair, that shined in the flurosent lighting above.

No, they didnt look alike. But they had a familiar look. Like I'd seen them before... or one of them. The blond boy seemed the most familiar, I thought. I pondered over the felling as I looked, noting that all of them had extremely pale skin, much paler than any other humans, or mine. THey were so pale it seemed like they had no blood. Strange. I also noticed that they all looked like theyd stayed up all night-they had deep, beruised shados under heir dark eyes.

And their faces! They were far more beautiful than any other teenagers in the cafe. Like there was an aura of beauty around them, making you want to go nearer them, even though-

I shook my head slighty, and then realised that they were talking, though I hadnt actually noticed before, as mesmerized as I had been. I listened from across the room to the voice.

"... she has a little sister, called Whitney, who she adores-her mother invited Esme to that garden party, remember?"

The voice came from the smaller girl, I realized. But she seemed ike she was talking to the wall, because none of the othes were lookng in her direction, or showing any sig that they even knew she was talking. They were just staring abstractly into space.

"I _know_ who she is." A male voice retorted. I frowned, so sure I had heard that voice before-in tha same, exact annoyed tone...

I heard a soft sigh from the girl, as she got up and picked up her tray. She walked away without so much of a hint of the clumsiness I had been trying to perfect all day. I frowned even deeper as she left.

My mind wandered back to the familiar voice. The strained one... I looked back at the table where the other sat unchanging. I worked out that it must of been the honey blond boy, the most familiar.

_Where _had I seen him before?

I nudged the Jessica girl gently. "Who are they?" I asked.

"Who?" She sai, looking up from her food.

I nodded towards the strange humans. "Them."I replied, talking a first bite of food. _Ugh. _This food was worst than most.

As she looked ovewr at the table, suddenly he looked at her, the bronze-haired boy, probably the youngest. He looked at Jessica for a fraction of a second, and then his coal eyes flittered to looked away in the same second, as did I. But he didnt flush red like I no reason.

I was confused by my reaction-why should I care if some human caught me staring? A strange human at that, but still a human.

My neighbour gigled girlishl, and I wanted to slap her. It was one of those extremely annoyingly embarrased giggles.

"Uh... Edward. Thats, Edward. And Emmett Cullen. " _Cullen_. Where had I heard _that_ before? "And Rosalie and Jasper Hale. The one who left- the small one- was Alice. Cullen. "

They all live together with DOctor Cullen and his wife." She whspered.

I glanced sideways at the beautiful boy, Edward, who was picking a bagel to pieces with his long, pale fingers, and speaking quietly.

"...giving the new girl all the dirty laundry on The Cullen Family..." It seemed lke he was directig his voice at the dark haired boy across the table.

I kept looking at the bronze haired one-who was by far the most beautiful- in, well, I dont know, wonder? Amazement? Something I didnt understand.

"They're all very, um, nice looking."It just slipped out.

"Yeah." Jessica gave that annoying giggle again. "They're all _together _though-Emmett and Rosalie, and Alice and Jasper, I mean. And they live _together. _I dont even think thats legal." Her voice sounded so shocked I could have laughed.

In Seattle, those many decades ago, children their age and younger had lived next door doing drugs and stuff. This wasnt half as bad. And It was legal.

"But...which ones are The Cullens?" There it was again, the familiar sense of having heard... "i mean, they dont _exactly_ look related."

"Oh-they're not. They're all adopted. The Hales -the blondes- are broher and sister, twins, and they're both foster kids."

"Arent they a little old for fosters?"

"They are _now_. But Jasper and Rosale have been with Mrs, Cullen since they were eight. Shes their aunt or something like that."

I wondered how Jessica knew all this. I mean, people didnt just go blabbing around about their personal stuff. Like, _Oh. Im a foster kid, yeah, my parents just ditched me so Ive been here for..._ Seriously? I had been planning on doing that, but now realised I shouldnt. It would seem like I was making i all up- and I was supposed to be distressed-my parent died last year...

As I exaimed them again, the youngest, Edward, looked up and met my gaze, this time with more curiousity in his expression. I looked away swftly, blushing ridiculously again.

I sat at the table with Jessica for ages, noticing when the Cullens and The Hales left, still curious.

_SO... That was Chapte EIGHT!!_


	10. Chapter 9

_Hey people, so sorry bout the w8 4 the last chapter. LUCKILY, i mnaged to download it, and im deleting it off my profile now. _

_Here is Chapter NIne, which is in Biology, where Bella figures out somethings up with Edward. Ive downloaded it quickly to make up for me not upadting the last chapter for ages..._

* * *

I walked to my next class- Biology- with one of Jessica's friends, Angela. She was shy, not talking at all as we walked. I appreciated the silence-it allowed me to think.

When we got in the classroom, Angela Weber went to sit at a black-topped lab table, by her partner. All of the tables in the room were filled-except one.

I recongnized Edward Cullen, sitting next to the only avalible space, his bronze hair glinting.

As I walked down the aisle to introduce myself to the teacher, and to get him to sign the stupid slip, I watched Edward move his books, clearing the right side of the table, where I was going to sit.

Just as I passed him, he suddenly went rigid. He stared at me again, like he had in the cafeteria, except meeting my eyes with a furious glare. I looked away.

Ok. Great. I got to sit next to a kid with anger management problems. Fantastic. I went red as I wondered whether this was why hedidnt have a girlfriend, when he siblings all had partners. Not that any girl could resist those obsidian eyes.

Mr. Banner signed my slip and I stumbled deliberately on my way to a seat. Kepping with the human game.

I didnt look up as I set my book on the table, not sure what I should do if he hit me. What would a _human _girl do? CRy? Tell the teacher? Yell 'ouch!' ?

I saw his posture change in the corner of my eye as I sat down, so that he was leaning away from me, like he smelled something vile.

I sniffed my hair carefully. It smelled like artificial strawberries-my shampoo. I let my hair fall over my shoulder, creating a dark curtain to seperate me from his crazy glare.

During the lesson, I couldnt help but peek at the strange human boy, whose fist wasclenched tightly against his thigh, and whose posture never shifted on the chaor.

I wondered if he was always like this. Or maybe it was just onje of his bad days. Or maybe it was just me.

_EPOV- Biology. _

Who was she?! Why did she have to be _here?_

I fought, I resisted against her sweet blood.

But even with my breath held, i could still taste the delicate fragrance on the tip of my tounge.

When i had seen her from across the cafeteria, I hadnt imagined anything like this. Who would have thought an ordinary human girl could be so...mouthwatering.

_Not completely normal._ I reminded myself as a distraction. _You cant read her mind. _True, of course. She couldnt be _normal. _No human could smell like this. I wondered suddenly whether she woul appeal to my family this way. To Jasper, any human smelt the same. But maybe she smelled better? The picture in my head visualized- Jasper in the cafeteria, completely savage.

And would she appeal to Carlisle? He was past the temptation for human blood-but maybe...

No. I was probably just weak. Weak and too thirsty. Barely able to resist the warm, sweet blood in the girl beside me.

Never had i even imagined such a scent could exist! If I had, I would have gone searching for it decades ago. I would have drunk-

I stopped myself from thinking that thought. From imagining the warmth trickle down my throat...

'BRRRRR!!!'

The bell rang. Saved by the bell. I almost killed her right then, as I turned. i met hwer chocolate brown eyes. Her vunerable human face, filled with something that wasnt fear, but should have been.

Unusual.

And then I whirled out of the roo, gasping the clean air with relief.

* * *

_So... That was the first chapter with Edwards POV. i've decided that there will be more of what Edward is thinking in the rest of my chapters. This story is too complicated to write JUST from Bellas POV. And I needed u to realise that Edward thinks Bella is human. and that she thinks he is... for a while...._

_But more of that in the next and next chapter. Please hit the button that says... um... Review and... or something.... _

_Bye!_


	11. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: I am NOT Stephanie Meyer, and all of these characters belong to HER. **

**Some of the plot is mine, and some of the personalities, but the rest is ALL HERS, Ok? Thanks.**

_Hey guys. This is pretty much where my story gets better, and worse. Here:_

_

* * *

_

I stared after the Cullen Boy. Seriously-what was his problem?

I gathered my things slowly, noticing how most of the humans were talking amoung themselves, not at all semming concerned that their next class started in just ten minutes.

I wished I was human.

I was one of a kind. A mutant freak who drank blood. Humans had no worries-not like i did. They didnt sneak into highschool and panic every second that they might kill one of their fellows.

I heard feet coming my way. Oh no. God, _please, please, please _don't be Eric.

"Arent you Isabella Swan?" a voice asked.

Duh. It wasnt like there was more than one new student at this school.

I looked up to see a -well, not _hot _like the Cullens, but cute, in a human way- boy, with gelled blond hair and a simle. Unlike Cullen, he didnt seem to think I smelled ick.

I had impulse to be friendly, probably because he'd caught me in a melancholy mood. Someone who seemed alright was talking to me. Not a weirdo like Jessica, or a Acne-man like eric, but a normal, cute human kid.

"Bella." i corrected him, smiling.

"I'm Mike."

"Hi."

"Dp you need help getting to your next lesson?" He asked.

I smiled back politely, suddenly remembering that i didnt want to be _too_ friendly. 'I'm headed over to the Gym actually. I think i can find it. It the big red building, right?"

"Gym?" He repeated, ignoring my question. "Hey! That my next class too!" He seemed overly thrilled, like he'd just won a million bucks or something. I tried to resist rolling my eyes,.

We walked to class together, him supplying most of the conversation. It turned out he was in my English too.

He was really nice. The nicest person I'd met all day. Unlike...

"So...did you stab Edward Cullen with a ruler, or what?" Mike asked as we entered the gym. Talking about the one who I had been thinking. "He seemed kinda mad-I've never seen him like that."

Huh. _Kinda_ mad. _sure_.

"I dunno. I just figured that he had, like, anger management problems or something."

Mike burst out laughing. I frowned. Maybe there wasnt a problem with Edward. Maybe it _was_ just me.

"He _is_ a weird guy." We'd reached the girls locker romms. He lingered buy me instead iof going to get changed himself. "If I were lucky enough to sit by you, I would have talked to you."

I smiled, walking into the changing rooms. Of course he would have talked to me-he was a chatter-box.

Coach Clapp found me a uniform. but he said I didnt have to dress down for todays lesson.

I watched four volleyball gmaes running at the same time, looking and remembering how slow the humans ran and felt slightly bored. And worried.  
Could i move that slow?

The second-last bell rang, and I went over to the History building. Mike followed me there , and then left for his final period.

As i entered the room, I realised I knew no-one at any of the seats. There were a few empty benches, and the teacher, an old lady with red glasses, made me sit at one of those.

The door opened, and i heard some more people, two of them, walk in. I turned, hoping it would be a human I knew.

Instead, i saw Emmett Cullen, and the gorgeous blond one-Rosalie. THey seemed to be heading in the direction of the seat infront of me.

They sat down just as the red glasses lady flicked on the hot air fan.

A gust of warm air blew from behind me, swirling my hair around my face. Both humans infront of me stiffened in a posture i had seen little more than an hour ago.

I frowned slightly as I saw Emmett put a hand on Rosalie's arm. Like he was restraining her. He raised his hand, still holding his-sister? Girlfriend? and asked the teacher if they could be excused from class.

"My sister feels sick."he said, seeming to speak from through his teeth. "Can we be excused?"

The teacher looked flustered=and almost as confused as I felt. Why had Rosalie even come to class if she felt ill?

"Uh... of course, Emmett. Rosalie."

Emmett pulled Rosalie up out of her seat and took her hand, pulling her towards the door.

As they passed me, they bith seemed to slow slightly.

But then they were gone.

_EPOV:_

I was sat in the car. Listening to my music worriedly, a dozen questions flying through my head.

Was I just weak? No human could smell like that. That mouthwatering.

And then thoughts interuptted mine. Emmetts. Rosalies. Alices

_NOthing smells that good. Nothing. Man, we should go back... _Emmetts thought turned angry with himself, _I cant believe i let that happen. i thought i had more control. Im nto leaving here. Not now. Rosalie thinks its perfect. We just have to... I have to go back... But Rose..._

Alice was scanning both the future and the past, remmbering the past few minutes and also urgently looking ahead.

_"Wait here." i sais to Jasper, pulling my hand from his. _

_his brow crumpled in confusion. "What is it? Do you see something?" He growled when I didnt answer. "Alice!"_

_I turned back to him. What could I say? If Rosalie was going to kill a human... was there blood? Jasper couldnt be allowed near blood... hed lose control. And be ashamed later on._

_I tried to keep my emotions in check, working for calm, knowing that he was reading my mood right now. He couldnt think there was danger. SoI had to stay calm. For him._

_Then the vision grew weaker. The blood on rosalie, the dead human... and then the vision strengthened again, and this time emmett was there too. He was drinking from the pale corpse... _

_But... His control was better than Rose's. Or was it?_

_Jasper couldnt come. No._

_"Please. Just wait here, Jazz. Everythings fine. Promise." I kissed his hand and ran towards the history building. _

_Emmett and Roaslie burst from inside, Emmett pulling Rose along by her hand as she tried to go back inside. _

_"Em!Rose? Whats worng?" Emmetts face was torn. He obviously wanted to go back just as much as Rosalie._

_Emmett shook his head, tugging Rose to the carlot._

_I tagged along, anxiously trying to find out what had..._

I wrenched open the car door, and saw what I had already seen through Alice's eyes. Could hear Rosalie's wild thoughts.

_Blood. Prey. So weet. Delicious. Must go back... Let go! No..._

I ran over to them,. i had a pretty good idea what had happened. That Swan girl.

"Edward?! What are you doing here?" Alice looked surprised- a rarity, for her. "What going _on?_ ive left Jasper? whats all this? Why is everyone-"

"Wait-"I said. "-go get Jasper. Quickly. We'll go home before..."I trailed off.

Alice stood there for a milisecond, too confused to do any thing else. amd the she ran off towards Jasper.

Emmet groaned. "Edward, bro..." I nodded, and indicated for him to get inthe car.

Rosalie looked shocked.

_Uh-_uh!!!_I didnt! I did. Oh-my-god!!! What'll we DO? Im NOT leaving forks!!! Its perfect here! Normal. And now... that stupid Swan girl. Her fault. Should kill have to stay No evidence..._

Alice and Jasper arrived, Jasper on alert, tasting everyones moods. Alice was frozen, face blank as she skimmed through everything.

"Edward- whats-" Jasper began warily.I cut him off.

"Later, in. drive Rose and Emmett home. Get em to explain what happened."

Alice grimaced as she saw what she and I were about to try. "I dont know if this will work, Edward." she frowned. "This is weird. is it a person-"

"Later." I said again. Then I turned to Jasper. "Alice is going to come with me. We'll run home in a bit."

Jasper caught the keys as i threw them to him. "What are you goping to do?" He asked.

"Change our schedules. I dont know if it'll work, but its worth a try..." I turned and hurried to the office, ALice bobbing along beside me.

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_This chapter is so long, Ive decided to make the rest of it another chapter. I'll download it in a bit. :) _

_Bye. Makenna._


	12. Chapter 11

_**HI. Im REALLY sorry that I havn't updated in… well, Forever. I've been writing up chapters of the main bits in my FF. I haven't had a computer, and I've been struggling with whether or not alice can see Bella or not. Cuz, Bella isn't human, or vampire, so she SHOULDN'T be able to see her but in the end I decided…**_

_EPOV:_

Alice and I were waking a quick human pace towards the main office building. I was trying to drown out Alice's overly loud mental voice.

Unsuccessfully.

_Edward? Edward! What's going on? Edward? I don't understand… EDWARD?_

I frowned as I tried to concentrate on what was going to happen next. We'd go see the red headed receptionist and then-

EDWARD! _Stop ignoring me! Damn it!_

I ignored her. We'd go to the office receptionist and then-

_Edward! I wont help you if you don't tell me what the_ hell _it is that's going on!_

"Leave me alone Alice." I muttered under my breath.

_Tell me what's going on. _

I growled at her under my breath. "Why don't you just _look _and see? I'm trying to think."

"I _can't _see you idiot. Why can't _you _see _that?"_

I turned to her. "What?"

_I said I can't see. _"Look."

She filled her mind with a vision I'd already seen. A memory of a vision of the history room. Rosalie and Emmett sat at desks.

I sighed, not sure where she was heading. "Look at what, Alice?"

Alice focused on the desk behind Emmett and Rosalie, seeming to find it difficult. _Look. Look at _that.

It was a black, fuzzy image, like a shadow almost, flickering hazily as it blurred around the edges. As Alice concentrated only on it, it focused slightly, and changed to the form of a girl, still slightly blurred, before Alice lost focus and the girl turned black again.

The vision went blank for a moment, and then as Alice refocused, we both saw Emmett and Rosalie lose control, and he shadow flicker into a pale white corpse. Emmett nod Rosalie's eyes were red as they killed the witnesses.

_See what I mean now, Edward? I can't see that girl's future unless I'm concentrating really hard. And it's seriously giving me a headache. Rosalie and Emmett blacked out too when their future got mixed with hers… _Now _will you explain whatever it is going on?_

I frowned as I realized something. I couldn't read this girls mind, and if Alice couldn't see her future properly… would Jaspers gift work? Was she somehow unaffected by vampire gifts?

"Edward? Come on. What's going on?"

**_BPOV_**

BPOV…

The final bell rang. At last.

This class had dragged on and on… I was thoroughly sick of hearing about events that I had been around to witness myself in the newspaper.

I considered dropping History as I pulled on my coat and left the classroom. It would save me from dying of boredom. I was in a class of 'older' teenage humans for history, and it had been annoying trying to play the shy little seventeen year old girl.

I walked to the office to hand in my paper work stuff to Mrs. Cope. As I reached the office building I heard the sound of voices coming from inside. I dawdled around the door, unsure whether to interrupt.

_Stupid. _A voice in my head scorned._ Why are you acting all polite all of a sudden? They're just _humans.

I sighed and shoved open the office door.

I almost walked back out.

The kid that possibly had anger management problems and possibly did not, Edward Cullen, was there with his sister, the pixie girl- Alice.

Neither of them seemed to notice the sound of me coming in, and so I slid against the wall, listening silently.

"… I know. But to change three schedules at such short notice…" Mrs. cope was flapping her hands, agitated.

Alice piped up in her trilling voice. "Please, Mrs. Cope. There must be some other times they could have. They wouldn't be any trouble."

"There are in history, of course. It's full of spaces. I can easily arrange Emmett and Rosalie to be switched, but every space in Biology in full, I'm sorry."

Edward seemed to hesitate. "Then can I drop the subject all together?"

Mrs. cope looked appalled. "Drop…biology?"

"I'd easily catch up in my exams. I've studied pretty much everything before."

Mrs. Cope frowned. "At the that advanced placement in Juneau."

"Right." Alice chirped.

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Emmett, Rosalie and Edward wanted to change classes? The exact classes they had with me?

How was it possible that three strange humans could take such a sudden, intense dislike towards me?

The door opened.

A girl with bond pig-tails rushed in, placed a signed slip in a wire basket and hurried out. A gust of air blew papers on the desk as she left.

Edward and Alice's backs both stiffened, and Edward turned to glare at me. His face was absurdly handsome, even though he was glowering at me with piercing, hatred in his black eyes.

Alice wasn't looking in my direction. She seemed frozen for a minute.

Then she spoke in a cheerful voice that seemed strange as Edward glared at me. "So sorry, Mrs. Cope. I guess you can't change Edward's time. We would appreciate it if you could still organize Emmett and Rosalie's though. Thank you so much for you help." Her words seemed slightly hurried.

She turned quickly to her brother.

"Come on, Edward." She grabbed his arm and pulled him out the door, shooting a slightly strained smile in my direction.

"Bye, Bella."

I stared after them.

"How did your first day go, Isabella?" Called Mrs. Cope as she straightened her purple t-shirt.

"Great." I lied convincingly as I walked up to hand her my slip.

When I got in my Audi, it was the last car in the lot. I turned on the engine and raced home, my brain bursting with questions.

* * *

_YES, I changed this chapter. PLEASE review._


	13. Chapter 12

EPOV…

When I got outside I was gasping the fresh air like I'd been suffocated.

"Edward?" Alice asked, slightly alarmed. She had smelt Bella's scent too, but wa no where near as effected by it as I was.

I shook my head, running for home. Fleeing. I had to get out of the school before Bella Swan could find me here with her delicious scent.

Alice followed me slowly.

What was wrong with me? Emmett had been able to get up when he'd smelt the girl's scent, he'd been able ask permission, and leave with Rosalie. My control had always been better than his, but when I had first smelt the girl's scent, I was unable to speak for fear of breathing in her smell.

Alice looked ahead into my future. We were both surprised.

"You're leaving?" she whispered.

"Am I?"I hissed through my teeth, still tasting Bella's scent on my tongue. She saw then, as my resolve wavered, and my future changed to a darker direction. My eyes glowing crimson.

"Oh."

We both watched a search for a missing person- Alice couldn't see who, but it was definitely Bella. The police were there. We watched Carlisle prepare to leave Forks.

"Oh." Alice repeated as she concentrated even further. I was in an unfamiliar house, most definitely Bella's. I stalked the blurred shape from the shadows… I let a scent pull me forwards…

"Alice!" I groaned unable to watch more.

"Sorry!" Alice whispered, her eyes wide. The monster inside me was rejoicing. It would get what it wanted.

And the vision in her head changed back to the snowy highway, trees flashing past, me running away…

"I'll miss you." Said Alice. She paused. "I'll go home from here. Go tell Carlisle that you are leaving. I'll explain to the others.

I stopped running. Alice touched my shoulder. "Do the right thing, Edward. She doesn't have to die."

I nodded.

She melted away into the woods. I ran back to Forks, towards the hospital, ready to inform Carlisle I was leaving.

_Disclaimer: I AM NOT STEPHANIE MEYER, and all twilight characters belong to her, as does the dialogue and storyline parts that I have used. _

_PLEASE REVIEW!!!_  And im REAL Sorry that this is so short. Been busy


	14. Chapter 13

_Hey. Um, this chapter goes a lot along the lines of twilight, so I just wanted to clarify that:_

_I AM NOT STEPHANIE MEYER, AND ALL TWILIGHT CHARACTERS BELONG TO HER AND SOME OF THE DIALOUGE. BYE._

The next day was… better. And worse.

It was better because I knew what to do, how to act; it was easier to seem human. Mike came to sit by me in English, with spotty Eric scowling in is direction all the while- that was hilarious. People didn't look at me quite so much as they had yesterday. I sat-despite my attempts to sit by myself- at a big group at lunch with Jessica and Mike, and a whole pile of their friends. It wasn't so bad, surprisingly.

It was worse because I went hunting in the morning, instead of sleeping, and killed a young girl- nine or ten years old. It was worse because I had to play volleyball at an annoyingly slow pace-while trying to be clumsy. I was so annoyed at Coach Clapp who was telling me to stop hiding from the ball, that when I did hit it, I whacked the ball off his head. By 'accident' of course.

And it was worse because Edward Cullen wasn't in school at all.

All morning in school I was excited, edgy wanting to see him, curious despite myself. Part of this was because I wanted to confront him and demand what the hell his problem was. While I'd run to Seattle, id even imagined what I'd say.

But another part of me disagreed. It was weird. Like I was shy or something to confront Edward. Shy. To speak to a _human._

When I had walked to the cafeteria with Jessica Stanley, I saw immediately that he wasn't there.

Mike walked up to us.

"You guys want to sit with us?" He asked, gesturing to a table already half full of his friends.

Jessica had nodded eagerly before I could protest, towing me along with Mike. Her annoying friends joined us after a while, giggling and irritating me. I was uncomfortable around so many humans, playing the shy girl, and all the time waiting nervously for the moment when_ he_ would arrive. I wondered whether or not he would ignore me, or act like yesterday…

He didn't come.

I walked to Biology confidently. Mike tagged along behind me. He wasn't talking to me as he had yesterday.

I suddenly realized he was panting-I'd been walking too fast. I slowed down to a more human pace, letting him catch up with me.

I exhaled when I saw Edward wasn't in the classroom. I went down to sit at my empty lab table. Mike followed, talking about an upcoming trip to the beach. He lingered by my desk until the bell rang, and then went to sit beside a girl with braces and a horrific perm. He gave me a wistful smile.

I sighed. It looked like I was going to have to do something about Mike. For his own sake. I mean, I couldn't feed _every _night, and it wouldn't be easy keeping control with him sticking close to me like glue.

I had no practice dealing with over friendly humans. My forehead creased.

I was relieved to have the desk to myself. I was glad that the Cullen boy wasn't there. That he was absent.

I told myself that repeatedly.

But I knew, deep down, that I wasn't glad. I couldn't lie to myself, and I knew that I _did _want him here. And that hurt, because I knew that I might be the reason that he wasn't.

It was impossible-to believe that I could effect anyone that strongly without deliberately scaring them off. I hadn't been scary had I? It couldn't be about me.

But when you looked at the evidence…

When the school day was over-after I'd noticed that Rosalie and Emmett had changed classes from my history, I walked swiftly to the parking lot.

It was crowded with students leaving school. As I reached my Audi, the crowd seemed to get thicker. I noticed a whole pile of teenage boys crowded around it.

Hilarious.

They were all string at my car with unmistakable lust in their eyes.

I rolled mine. Jeez.

"Hey!" I called. Most of the boys snapped out of their trance and scarpered. The other continued to stare, seeming oblivious that I had even called.

I smirked and walked up to them.

"Excuse me." The five left staring looked at me. I grinned at their expressions. "That's my car."

They all flushed, embarrassed. They unwillingly took a few small steps away from my Audi. As I unlocked the door they were muttering among themselves.

"_She _owns an _Audi Coupe?!" "Man._ She must be loaded with cash." Yeah. I was.

They all stood and watched as I started the engine and drove away. As I waited in the car park traffic, I checked my pockets for my credit card.

Last night I'd realized I was gong to need some human food in the house. For keeping up appearances of curious humans. And also because I didn't want to hunt all the time, and human food could sustain me for a while.

It would also help me keep my temperature down a few degrees as well. If I was thirsty, I knew any human who touched me would think I had a high fever.

As I left the parking lot, I saw the two Cullen and the Hale Twins getting into their car. It was the shiny Volvo. That, and their designer style clothes, hinted that they had a bit more money than anyone else in this dreary town.

They looked at my car as I passed them, just like everyone else. Again, I felt like I recognized them. Even more then I had yesterday.

The local supermarket was not so far from the school. It was nice inside- no-one stared at me. Much.

When I got home, I as momentarily at loss of what to do with my food. See, I didn't have a fridge. I ended up stuffing the groceries into wherever I could find a space. I made a mental note to buy a fridge.

I sat on the kitchen counter, suddenly realizing that if I was going to act more like a human than usual, a lot more work than I'd thought needed to be done. I scanned the pretty much empty kitchen. The paint scratches on he cupboards, the curtain-less windows, the chipped edge of one of the drawers…

It wouldn't be _very _hard to organize the kitchen. I could rip out the cupboards and cabinets in a matter of minutes, and go out and buy everything else I needed. I could install a new pantry by myself. It would be simple. Buying blinds for the windows… all easy.

I jumped down off the kitchen counter. I glanced at the floor. Maybe I should tile it. With black stone.

I walked through the house, knowing that I needed more furniture, thinking and making a long mental list.

The lounge needed carpet. And curtains. The two upstairs bedrooms need curtains and a touch up of paint. The dining room was a hideous shade of sick colored green. The hall needed a rug or something- and one of the lights was stuffed. The bathroom upstairs needed retiling, I need silicon to fill in he cracks by the bathtub… I needed a better showerhead.

Once I'd figured out everything I sat down on the floor by the tiny sink in the bathroom, and I let my mind wander, bored.

Stupidly, it anchored on Edward. Why hadn't he come to school? I got up, milliseconds after sitting down. Why should I care? It was none of my business, anyway.

I glanced one more time around the eerie bathroom. I'd fix up the whole house in the weekend, I decided.

I ran upstairs to my bedroom. I opened the window and kicked off my shoes, flopping down on the bed.

_Yeah… um. _

_Bella _can _sleep, by the way. And she can run fast. And shes stronger than a human. And FF is probably pretty confusing to you all._


	15. Chapter 14

The rest of the week was uneventful. Partially uneventful, anyway.

In gym, I put on a show of being unable to catch the ball, of tripping over my own feet when ever I ran. Just so I wouldn't have to submit to a grueling pace.

I still held my breath around every human. I continued to worry about the humans around me, especially Mike Newton and Jessica Stanley, who I sat with at lunch everyday.

Edward didn't come back to school. Every day, I watched anxiously until his strange adopted siblings entered the lunchroom without him. Then I would relax, ignoring the strange emotion I didn't understand, and would listen to my humans talk.

Mostly, they chattered about an upcoming trip to a beach in La-Push- the Indian reserve on the coast.

When Mike asked me a couple of days ago, as we had walked to Biology, I'd agreed. Mostly out of politeness. He'd caught be in a Melancholy mood, as I'd wondered whether or not Edward would be in Biology.

It was stupid how obsessed I was getting.

By Friday, I was pretty much fine entering my Bio class with Mike. Edward was never there. For all I knew, he'd dropped out of school. I tried not to let that bother me. And I tried not to think about him, but I couldn't totally erase my worry that I was the reason for his continued absence.

I was over obsessed. Biology was easy, considering the fact I had never read any books about it or anything. And becaue Bioloy was easy, my brain needed something else to think about.

That something always ended up being Edward Cullen.

My first weekend in Forks was good. I woke, after a few short hours of sleep. To a cloudy day, like usual.

I sat on my bed, making a mental map in my head of where to start. After less than a millisecond of thought, I decided that the kitchen was the most important. My human food couldn't stay crammed in drawers forever.

I passed through the tiny dining room to the kitchen. I paused in the doorframe looking at the wall.

If I simply tore it down, I'd have a large kitchen/ dining room… Maybe later, I thought, starting on the kitchen.

I slid my finger into the crack between the wall and one of the kitchen cupboards. I pulled it gently, careful of any nails that might rip the wall. The faded green cupboard made a small grinding noise as I ripped it out. I carried it into the hallway.

Before lunchtime I called a white ware service, getting the prices of fridges and ovens. I'd memorized the length of the open space I had created, and needed the fridge and oven to fit it beside each other, to cover up the black marks on the wall from where I had pulled out the rusted old cooker.

"The Campbell's." I decided. "Could you please deliver that tomorrow morning? Or whatever time suits you best?"

"Sure." Said the guy on the other end of the phone.

By the end of the day, the kitchen, bathroom, dining room, laundry, and my bedroom were empty of junk. Outside in the fog was a pile of splintered wood, metal, and chipped tiles. I drove out for paint just before the only D.I.Y store in town shut. I bought five tubs of a whitish color paints, and another two, just a shade darker. I only wanted pale colors in my rooms, not bothering about how fancy anything was. I painted the rooms quickly in the dark, and then waited for tomorrow, sitting down on the floor of the lounge.

I rang the carpet deco at a more reasonable hour on Sunday. The came round in the afternoon to get measurements of the rooms upstairs. While my fridge was installed, I went shopping for curtains and blinds. I had to drive to Port Angeles for a decent choice, and while I was there, I ordered furniture for the lounge and my rooms upstairs.

An then, the worst part of my weekend. I went hunting in Seattle. I ran through the trees, knowing that it would be tempting fate to hold this off another day. This vile, disgusting… _But I can't help what I am_, I told myself, somehow seeming to think that made it better.

_Whatever I am._

_So… Sorry about all the house stuff, but I figured that she needed to do something in the weekend._

_Her house is pretty much finished. _

_Please review ____ I NEED reviews, or I stop writing for ages, like with my other fanfiction._


	16. Chapter 15

_I stalk the girl from the shadows. She is not bleeding, but I can smell her blood through her skin. I can see the blood pumping itself. I can see the throb of her pulse. I can hear the delicate thumping of her heart. The sound fills the darkness… It pulls me forward. The girl turns, just as I leap. Her face is horrified… the girls black eyes are huge under her black eyebrows… I sink my teeth into the artery I her neck, feeling the warmth sear down my throat…_

Ah! I sat up, wincing. _Just a dream. You don't kill like that._ I tried to calm myself. I could hear my own heart, thrumming exactly like the girl in the dreams… I shuddered. I wished I hadn't been hunting. I wished for myself to change. I wished that I didn't need human blood. I wished there was some other way…

I sank back into the bed, looking at the newly painted roof. I was anxious about returning to school in a few hours. Who knew whether I would stay in control? What if my hunting trip didn't make any difference at all?

I was a monster- humans were my prey. Whose smart idea was it to let the monster loose in a school full of its prey?

Mine. All mine. _My fault if I slip today. _It's always my fault. No matter what. Not a single person in the world was like me. I was unique…

I woke up again.

* * *

_Sorry that I posted this chapter. I was just trying to get you to understand that Bella HATEs being a monster. Next chapter is better though- Edwards coming back!! _


	17. Chapter 16

It was going to rain again, dark clouds forming in the sky.

I tried not to dwell on the dream I'd had last night as I drove to school. I convinced myself that, if I did exactly as I had last week, no body would die. It wouldn't happen. I would not lose control.

People greeted me in the parking lot when I arrived at school. I waved back, too nervous to smile. My dream had made me turn all pessimistic. Great.

Some of that pessimism faded in English. A lot of it actually, if not all of it. Mike sat next to me, and their was a quiz on Wuthering Heights- one of a few books that I actually owned. I was really easy, and I didn't find it hard to ignore Mike's scent while I answered questions.

I was more comfortable now. I wouldn't kill anyone. I smirked slightly to myself. I had been more worried this morning than I had been all last week. I was pathetic.

When we walked out of class, the air was full of swirling bits of ice. Teeneagers shouted excitedly to each other. The wind was freezing-my skin was down to a human temperature today, due to last nights hunting trip.

"Wow. Its snowing." Mike stated. Obviously.

"Ew." The word came involuntarily. Mike looked at me in disbelief.

"You don't like snow?" He asked, surprised.

"Too wet." It hadn't snowed much in Phoenix-I'd forgotten how quickly ice melted around my hot temperature.

I was suddenly sure that I didn't want to be in the car park much longer. Already I could see humans scooping up handfuls of slush. I hurried towards the building. I didn't want to get wet.

Mike started to follow, but a large ball of mushy ice hit him in the back of his head. I saw Eric turn and start walking in another direction.

"Eric." I told Mike, who was eyeing the students around him for the culprit. He looked at me. I nodded towards Eric's retreating figure. "I'm going inside now, OK?"

Mike nodded as he bent down to scrape a pile of mush. "Bye."

After Spanish, Jessica pulled me along to the cafeteria as usual. I heard Mike's feet crunching behind us. He had ice melting his blond spikes in his hair. He and Jessica started talking animatedly about the snow fight as we lined up for food.

I glanced at the corner table. Just out of habit- I knew that Edward wouldn't be there.

Except he was. There were five people at the table.

Jessica tugged at my arm with so little pressure that I wouldn't have even noticed if hadn't spoken.

"Hello? Bella? What do want?"

I looked down, a bush on my cheeks for no reason. I had no reason to feel this way. Why was I self-conscious? He was just a _human_, for crying out loud.

"What's with Bella?" Mike asked Jessica.

"Nothing." I answered. I glanced at the food on offer. Gross. I didn't need anything at all. I'd hunted last night. But just to be safe… "I'll just get a soda today."

I caught up to the end of the line.

"Aren't you hungry?" Jessica asked.

Anything but.

"No." I paused. "I kind of feel a little sick." I wrenched my eyes off the floor, purposely ignoring the table in the far corner of the room, and got my soda. Jessica pulled me along by the arm to the table where we usually sat, and I sighed.

I'd rather sit on my own.

I sipped my soda slowly, my stomach turning. Twice, mike asked with unnecessary concern, whether or not I felt O.K. It told him it was nothing, but I was wondering if I should play it up and ditch Biology. I was way too eager to sit beside him.

That was troubling. But…

"Ease up man." The brawny one said. "So you kill on human. What's the big deal?"

"You would know." I heard Edwards voice murmur.

I froze from where I had just been about to look up at them. Had I heard that right? Impossible. They weren't like I was. I must have just imagined that. There was silence from their table, as always.

I turned my head to look at them. Slowly.

They were enjoying the snowy day just like anyone else.

"You asked for it," Emmett leaned across the table and shook his ice-

encrusted hair in Alice and Rosalie's direction. Melted snow showered over their table.

"Ew!" Rosalie complained, as she and Alice recoiled from the deluge.

The black haired pixie girl laughed, holding up her tray as a shield.

I frowned as I watched them. Was it just me, or was their something different about all of them? I watched Edward, trying to perceive the difference. He didn't look as tired, I decided, and his skin was not quite as pale as I remembered, probably flushed from the snow fight.

My eyes then looked at Jasper. I frowned, trying to remember where I had seen him before… I recognized him now even more than I had before…

"Bella, what are you staring at?" Jessica asked me, her eyes following my stare. I looked at Edward.

As soon as I did, his eyes flashed quickly to Jessica, flickering off her to me. I dropped my head, hiding behind my hair. He didn't look harsh or unfriendly like last time in the office. Merely curious.

"Edward Cullen is staring at you." Jessica giggled in my ear. There was a faint tinge of annoyance in her tone. I guessed that she would rather have Edward staring at _her_.

"Does he look angry to you?" I couldn't help double checking.

"No." she said, confused. "Should he be?"

"I don't think he likes me that much." I said, grinning slightly to myself. _That much. _Huh. He absolutely loathed me, though he had never actually spoken a word to me.

"The Cullens don't like anybody…well, they don't actually notice anyone enough to like them. But he still staring."

"Stop looking at him." I hissed. I looked up at her to make sure she did.

Jessica giggled, but looked away.

Mike interrupted us then-he was planning a snow fight in the carpark after school an wanted us to join. Jessica agreed enthusiastically. The way she looked at Mike showed that she would be up for anything he suggested. I smiled to myself, and declined.

Could they really not hear the patter of raindrop washing away the snow? It seemed loud enough to me.

The rest of the hour I deliberately stopped myself from turning towards The Cullen table. I knew that, even though it was wrong of me, I would go to Biology. Just so I could look at him. Just so I could try work out why Edward and his family were so different.

I sighed.

All the human teenagers groaned in unison as they saw the rain, washing the snow in icy ribbons down the sidewalk. I smirked. None of them really had heard the change of sound, from soft flakes of ice to loud splashes.

Mike kept up a string of complaints on the way to building four. They were so annoying, that I found myself wishing that the snow had stayed, just so he would shut up.

When I got to class, my table was still empty. I felt slightly nervous as I sat down. Was he going to ditch Biology? Was it because of me?

I forced myself to do something other than just sit there. I pulled out a random book from my bag and sketched on it for while.

I ended up drawing the house. My house, with the trees dark and misty surrounding it…

I heard the different set of footsteps enter the classroom. Lighter, more rhythmic. I purposely ignored them as they approached my table.

The chair beside me grated against the floor as it moved. I continuously sketched another tree into my garden.

"Hello." Said a musical voice. Edward.

The urge to look up was too great. I was surprised that he was actually speaking to me. He was sitting as far away from me as the desk allowed, but he chair was angled towards me. His hair was dripping wet, crystal dewdrops shining in the light. His handsome face was open, friendly, a slight smile on his flawless lips. I noticed the carefulness in his eyes.

"My name is Edward Cullen." I had a feeling he already knew that I knew this. "I didn't have a chance to introduce myself last week. You must be Bella Swan."

My mind was spinning with confusion. Had I imagined the furious glares? He was perfectly polite now. I tried to think of something to reply.

I frowned slightly as I realized something. I'd enrolled as Isabella. "How do you know my name?"

He laughed lightly. "I think pretty much everyone here knows your name. The whole schools been waiting for you to arrive since it was announced."

I grimaced. No wonder I'd had such a hard time, trying to be ignored. Stupid office receptionist.

"No. I mean, why did you call me Bella?"

He seemed confused. "Do you prefer Isabella?"

"No, I like Bella." I frowned. I wished I'd never bought up the subject. "But… everyone else knows me as Isabella. I keep having to correct them…" I trailed off, feeling like an utter moron.

"Oh." He let it drop. I looked away awkwardly.

Mr . Banner started class then. I tried to concentrate as he explained the lab we would be doing today. We had to organize the mixed up slides of onion root tip cells into the phases of mitosis they represented, and then label them accordingly. We were't supposed to use our books, but I was pretty sure I knew what I was doing.

"Get started." He commanded.

"Ladies first, partner?" Edward asked. I looked up to see him smiling a crooked smile so beautiful that I could only stare like an idiot. _Seriously_, what was _wrong_ with me? I couldn't speak.

"Or I could start, If you wish." The smile faded, he was obviously wondering whether or not I was a retard.

"No," I said, flushing stupidly, "I'll go ahead."

I snapped the first slide under the microscope and adjusted it to the 40X objective. I studied the slide quickly, and was pretty sure of the answer. I waited a second, just to seem as slow as any other human in the room.

"Prophase." I said confidently.

"Do you mind if I look?" he asked me, just before I removed the slide. His hand caught mine, to stop me from taking out the slide.

I jerked my hand out from under his quickly. It was freezing cold, colder than anything. Like he'd been holding it in a freezer before class. And when he touched me, it felt like I'd been stung by an electric current.

"Sorry." He muttered, pulling his hand back immediately. He pulled out the slide and examined it as quickly as I had.

"Prophase." He agreed, writing it down neatly.

He quickly switched the slides.

"Anaphase." He muttered, writing it down as he looked.

Show off, I thought. I kept my voice indifferent. "May I?"

He smirked and pushed the microscope towards me. I was disappointed to see that he was right. Dang it. I held my hand out, without looking at him.

"Slide three?"

He handed it to me, and I couldn't help but notice that he seemed to deliberately avoid touching me again.

I took the quickest look that wouldn't give me away. "Interphase." I pushed the microscope gently towards him before he could ask.

He took a swift peek, and wrote it down. I could have written it while he looked, but that would have meant touching him again.

We were finished before anyone was close. I could see Mike examining the slides over and over again, and another group looking hastily at their book under the table.

And I had nothing else to do… except for to try not to look at him, which I failed in. I glanced up at him, seeing the slight look of frustration in his face.

I suddenly noticed the subtle difference in his face.

"Did you get contacts?" I blurted out.

He seemed puzzled and slightly amused by my unexpected question. "No."

I frowned. "Oh. I thought there was something different about your eyes."

He shrugged and then looked away.

He was lying. I could vividly remember the black color of his eyes last time. Today his eyes were a completely different color, a golden shade .Weird. And the golden tone of them… why was that familiar? And his icy touch…

But he wasn't wearing contacts. There was no microscopic scratches to show that he was wearing tinted bit of plastic in his eyes. Maybe I was just going crazy.

I looked down. His hands were clenched into fists again.

Mr. Banner approached our table- probably wondering why we were the only ones not working. He spotted the completed worksheet, Edward's handwriting on it.

"So, Edward." He said. "Did you not think that Isabella should get a chance with the microscope?"

"Bella." Edward corrected automatically. "Actually, she identified three of the five."

Mr. Banner turned to me. His expression was skeptical. "Have you done this lab before."

I lied. "Yes. Twice- once without onion root."

"Whitefish blastula?" As if I knew what that was.

"Yeah." I lied again.

Mr. Banner nodded. "Were you in an advanced placement program in Phoenix?"

"Yes."

"Well." He said after a moment." I guess it's good that you two are lab partners then." He lowered his voice as he walked away. "So that others can get to learn for themselves." He muttered to himself. I scowled at his back, an then started drawing on my notepad again.

"It's too bad about the snow, isn't it?" Edward sounded like he was forcing himself to make conversation with me

"Not really." I answered honestly, still sketching. I was trying to erase the suspicion in my head, not concentrating properly.

"You don't like the cold." It wasn't a question.

"Not really." I said again. Everything was cold to me. I wished it wasn't… I wished I was normal and everything was a normal temperature. Right now, my temperature was pretty much the same as a human's, and everything was slightly warmer. But still cold.

"Forks must be a difficult place for you to live." He mused.

"You've no idea." I muttered darkly. I knew he was referring to the weather, but I wasn't. This whole high school thing was insane. Crazy. Being close to humans like Mike and Jessica… also the whole acting as a human thing. Going so slow, having to politely ask for everything… horrible.

I pulled out from the depths of my head and realized that he was fascinated, for no reason, by what I had said. He face was suddenly such a distraction that it was hard to look at it any more than courtesy demanded.

"Why did you come here then?"

No one had asked me that question- I was unprepared. I didn't know what lie to use.

"It's…complicated." I hedged.

"I think I can keep up."

I paused for a long while, sketching without really looking at the paper. What could I say? My parents died last year… come on! I needed something. Why hadn't I thought of this before…

I made my voice sound sad. "I needed a change."

He frowned, trying to work out my tone, probably, and wondering how itfit with my words.

"My parents died in a car crash at the beginning of last year." I explained with fake sadness.

"Oh." Edward was suddenly sympathetic. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to… upset you or anything."

"It's alright." I said quietly. I continued to tell him as I made it up on the spot. " And I left Phoenix, because there was too much things that reminded me of them." I smiled sadly. "Forks is pretty much the opposite of phoenix. Wet, cold, small… So I came here."

I felt sad, because I could tell he believed me. Sometimes I wondered whether I was too good a liar. I could convince pretty much anyone.

But not myself. I was a monster. It was impossible to lie to myself about that. And this bizarre beautiful boy beside me wasn't.

"You put on a good show." He suddenly said, still watching me. "But I'd be willing to bet that you're still suffering-you just don't let anyone see."

I grimaced at him. How the hell did he know that? It was true, of course. I was constantly swept into melancholy moods whenever I was forced to dwell on the fact that I was not human.

"Am I wrong?"

I tried to ignore him. I wasn't going to lie anymore today.

"I didn't think so." He murmured smugly. There was a faint note of sympathy in his voice too.

"Why does it matter to _you_?" I demanded, irritated. I kept my eyes away, watching nothing in particular.

"That's a very good question." He muttered, more to himself than me, it seemed.

I waited a while, but it soon became apparent that that would be the only answer I would get.

I sighed and scowled at the blackboard.

"Am I annoying you?" He asked. He sounded amused.

"Not exactly. I'm more annoyed at myself. I guess. I think I must be easier to read than I'd thought."

"On the contrary, I find you very difficult to read." He sounded like he meant it.

"Are you a good reader then?" I replied.

"Usually." He smiled widely, flashing a set of perfect, ultra-white teeth.

Mr. banner called the class to attention then, and I turned with relief to listen. I was confused as to why I was disturbed to lie to the boy beside me. And he'd seemed so engrossed in our conversation, but I could now see him, out of the corner of my eye, leaning away from me again, his hands gripping the edge of the table with unmistakable tension.

I tried t appear attentive as Mr. Banner showed the class what I had had no trouble seeing for myself through the microscope. But my thoughts were extremely unmanageable.

When the bell rang, Edward rushed as swiftly and as gracefully as he had last Monday. And like last Monday, I frowned as I saw no clumsiness in his lope.

Mike hurried quickly to my side and picked up my books for me. I rolled my eyes, holding out my arms for my books.

"that was awful." He moaned. "They all looked the same. You're lucky you had Cullen for a partner."

"I didn't have any trouble with it." I said, annoyed by his assumption. And then I remembered my lie. "I've done this lab before, though." I made it sound like I was trying not to hurt his feelings, to cover up my mistake.

"Cullen seemed friendly enough today." he commented, as I shrugged into my hoodie. He didn't sound pleased about it.

I tried to sound indifferent, though I was also wondering about this. "I wonder what was with him last Monday."

I couldn't concentrate on mike's blab on the way to Gym, and P.E didn't hold my attention much either. Mike was on my team today, and defended his position as well as my own. History was a bore, no one there who I knew. I considered dropping the subject until the bell rang.

The rain was just a damp mist as I walked to the parking lot, when I got in my Audi-after smiling at the guys around it till they left, embarrassed- I turned on the heater and put down my hood. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a pale figure, leaning against the front door of silver car, staring intently in my direction. Edward.

I swiftly looked away, backing out of the parking lot in a hurry. I pulled in front of a rusted Toyota Corolla, and left the school gate far behind.

_

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_

Wow. This chapter is gonna be so long that I have to make a part2. Sorry.

_And im TRYinG to make this not be like Twilight, but im SORRY, my imagination is really crap at the moment._


	18. Chapter 17

BPOV…

When I got home, I felt like my brain would burst. Literally. I felt even more out of it than I had in History. I also felt _tired._ For no reason.

I couldn't help but think of Edward. The icy touch in Biology, and his lighter-than-amber colored eyes. I locked my Audi, and unlocked the house.

Curling up on my bed, I tried to make sense of what was nagging at me. But the voice in my brain kept get shunned back by louder thoughts into a secluded corner of my mind.

It was so irritating. I knew something was wrong with him. With his whole family. They were the strangest humans I had ever met. Beautiful, pale, with icy skin… And Edward's sudden change in personality… Emmett and Rosalie hastily leaving the History class- they actually looked like they were fleeing… Edward's mysterious week away…

I shook my head, my eyes blurring. What was it? I knew the answer. I knew that I knew, I just couldn't remember _what _I knew. And that was immensely frustrating.

I knew I shouldn't even care. But then that tiny voice said I should care… because… for some reason.

I growled with annoyance. _Come on! _I demanded internally.

Trying to remember every little thing of the past week that involved The Cullens and The Hales didn't help nudge the thought into sense.

I felt a wave of fatigue, which was wrong, because I didn't need to sleep. I'd slept last night, yet somehow, I was tired again.

My thoughts weren't making any sense... They were jumbled up, bobbing on an ocean of roaring confusion.

I shoved my head onto the pillow.

I slept.

I dreamed.

In the dream, I was standing in an office. Paper and documents overflowed the desk, where a balding man sat, watching fearfully. He held a pen in his hand, which was quivering.

_J. Jenks. _A voice in my head acknowledged. But I wasn't paying attention to the desk, or the man who sat behind it… I was paying attention to the other person.

His hair was honey-blond.

He held out his hand politely. "Jasper."

_Jasper! _Jasper Hale. The most familiar one. Jasper. The dream dragged on, distracting me from my sudden realization.

I took his hand, and we both let go in the same second. His hand was _icy. _Colder than anything I'd ever touched, and everything seemed cold to my hot skin.

Another memory entered my dream…

…"_Do you mind if I look?" he asked me, just before I removed the slide. His hand caught mine, to stop me from taking out the slide._

_I jerked my hand out from under his quickly. It was freezing cold, colder than anything. Like he'd been holding it in a freezer before class…_

I woke, my heart thudding erratically as I remembered.

"They aren't human." I whispered. "Of course."

I had been so _stupid, _to let this evade me. When I had met Jasper the first time, I had immediately realized that he wasn't human. Why was it that it had taken me so long to realize that a second time?

I was angry with myself as the answer came to me. I'd been so overwhelmed, thinking about Edward. I hadn't even considered the fact that they weren't what they seemed. Why? Because I was so entranced by his face. His perfect, beautiful face. How pathetic.

So what did I do now? Now that I knew?

Confront them? Tell them my secret?

I knew they weren't the same as me- that was too much to hope for. But they were similar. They moved as gracefully and almost as quietly as I did when I wasn't trying to seem human. Were they as strong as me too? Were they fast like me? Or were they stronger, and faster and even more deadly? Were they life-stealing monsters like me? I doubted it.

I couldn't tell them. No. It would be suicide. I had no idea how they would react to me. So I would just have to act even more carefully than before. I would have to lie even more.

I couldn't imagine them being monsters. They weren't.

I was. And there was no other alternative for me.

_

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_

Ooooooooooo…. Now she guesses that they aren't human. Finally. I think I made my charater a little bit thick. But anyway… REVIEW PLEASE!!!

_And 2mrrow is… THE VAN CRASH… _


	19. Chapter 18

_DISCLAIMER: I am not Stephanie Meyer, and all Twilight characters beling to her, as does the dialogue I have used through this chapter._

_Please don't tell me that I've used stuff from Midnight Sun. I know. But I had to. Thanx._

* * *

In he morning, something was different t about the light. It was clear, not as murky somehow. I jumped up and looked out my window.

Then I groaned.

A fine layer of snow covered my yard, dusted the top of my Audi, and whitened the road. But the worst part was all the rain from yesterday- it was now frozen in deadly ice slickness everywhere. It was pretty sure, all the gorgeous patterns in the pines, but I had enough trouble trying to act clumsy on wet ground- How many time would I have to slip over today to seem human?

I ate a small bowl of human cereal mush, and some juice from the cardboard carton. I felt excited to go to school, and that scared me. Worried me. I knew it wasn't because of the human friends I now had, or because of my learning environment- if I was honest who myself, I knew It was because I knew I would see Edward Cullen. And that was very, very stupid.

Now that I recognized that he wasn't human, I knew I should sty away from him- he (no matter how impossible It seemed) could be dangerous to me, he could attack if he realized that I wasn't human. And also I disliked lying to him, for a strange reason, and I was going to have to lie more if I was around him.

But I was tongue tied when I pictured his perfect face, and I was instantly craving to see it again.

I hurried and put on snow chains to my Audi, disliking the freeing wetness of the snow. Brr. And I practiced skidding on the ice, hoping that I wouldn't over do it at school.

Driving, I distracted myself from my speculations about Edward by concentrating on the humans I drove past, how thy walked on the slippery ground, and how they balanced their weight…

When I arrived I the parking lot at school, I parked where th ice was thinnest, so that I wouldn't have to pretend to be careful at first.

I locked my audi and waked over to where the ice thinned. Two cars down from mine, by a rusted old ford, I felt it thicken and started walking slowly, pretending to be cautious, careful… and then I purposely slipped, and gripped the side of the grey ford t hold myself up.

As I straightened up, I heard a weird sound. Someone yelled 'No!' In a high voice, and a high-pitched screech followed it, reminding me of metal scraping along concrete… I looked up as it grew louder.

A dark blue van was skidding across the ice, squealing, tires locked. It was heading straight towards me. It was going to jam me into the ford behind me, like a sandwich.

My brain worked quick, quicker than a humans, and I considered briefly what to do- should I run? I glanced over to where most of the students were. A sea of frozen faces were staring at the van in shock. Edward Cullen, and his sister Alice, both staring at _me,_ watching with horror on their faces. My eyes flickered black to the van.

Only a few milliseconds had passed. I would move out of the way as soon as the skidding blue van hid me from the sight of the witnesses. It would look like the van had missed.

It would hurt of course, if the van _did _hit me, and I would be cut up, would break my bones, even. And then I would heal really fast- that would definitely make humans suspicious- a girl who looked like a cripple one day, suddenly up and about the next, not a scar on her.

Another millisecond passed, and the screech focused more slightly on me. Time flowed faster again.

"Edward-"The high pitch voice came again.

And then, just as I prepared myself to dodge the van, something it me, hard, from the wrong direction. My head cracked loudly on the icy blacktop, and I felt surprise- what the hell?- And I felt something sold and hard pinning me to the ground. I was lying on the pavement, next to the tan car in-between the ford and my Audi.

But I didn't have a chance to notice anything else, because the van was still coming. It curled gratingly around the end of the ford, and still spinning and sliding, was coming towards me again.

A low oath made me aware that someone was with me, and the voice was impossible not to recognize. Two long, white hands shot out protectively in front of me, and the van shuddered to a stoop inches from my face, two large hands fitting perfectly into a dent in the vans body.

Then, two smaller hands-instead of moving slowly, moved really fast- a speed I was more used to- one grabbed me, swinging my legs round like a rag-dolls, till they hit the tire of the tan car, the other held up the blue van easily as the first swept me from under it. There was a groaning, metal thud as the van thumped down on the ground, exactly where, a second ago, my legs had been.

It was silent for one long second before the screaming started. What the hell? My brain was utterly confused. I could hear more than one voice yelling my name, but more clearly, I could hear two voices speaking in my ear.

"Bella? Are you alright?" Alice and Edward both spoke at the same time.

"Perfect." I replied, edgy being so close to them, the ones who I knew weren't human. I tried to sit up, but found that I couldn't- Edward was holding me against his side in an iron grasp. I struggled, a small part of my brain noting that they were both far stronger than even _I'd _suspected. He was stronger than me, at least. And doubted that I'd of been able to stop that van…

"Be careful." Edward warned as I struggled. "You hit our head pretty hard, I think."I became aware of the throbbing ache above my left ear.

"Ow." I said. So much for away from the van unscathed. But I hadn't had anything to do with it. _Edward _had been the one who'd it my head so hard.

I tried to sit up again.

_**EPOV**_

"No!" Alice gasped out loud.

Instantly, I scanned her thoughts, guessing at first that I'd made a poor choice as I watched the girl stutter on the ice, and she'd seen me doing something inexcusable.

But this had nothing to do with me, yet still had _everything _to do with me.

Tyler Crowley had decided to turn the corner into the parking lot too quickly. The choice would make him skid across the ice, swerving…

The vision came half a second before reality. Tyler's van skidded round the corner, just as I watched the conclusion to Alice's vision.

It had everything to do with me, because the blue van, skidding across the ice, ith the tires at the worst possible angle, was going to crush the girl who had become the uninvited point of my existence.

The girl looked up, from where she had just saved herself from slipping on the ice. Her eyes darted to look at the blue van, and then looked towards where everyone was standing, string at the van in horror. Her eyes met mine, and then spun back to the van. She wouldn't be able o move fast enough.

_Not her! _The voice shouted in my head as if it belonged to someone else.

I saw Alice's vision split three ways, but had no time to see the outcome. I launched myself across the lot.

"Edward-"Alice cried out as I threw myself between the skidding van and the frozen girl.

Everything was a streaky blur, except the object of my focus, still staring at the van about to grind her into the Ford pickup behind her.

I caught her round the waist, moving with too much urgency to remind myself to me gentle. When I heard her head crack loudly onto the ice, It felt like I had cracked in half.

Alice glanced round at the humans around her, deliberating, and then raced out of the crowd towards us quickly. She arrived just as the van curled around the sturdy iron body of the Ford. It was changing course heading towards the girl, again. Like she was a magnet, pulling it towards us.

The worst word I'd ever said in the presence of a lay slipped through my teeth.

I'd done way to much. As I'd flown through the air to yank her out of the way, I'd been almost oblivious to the mistake I was making. It was a risk I was taking to save her-taking it not just for myself, but for my entire family.

Exposure.

And _this _certainly wasn't going to actually help, but there was no way I was going to let the van succeed in trying to crush the girl a second time.

I dropped her and threw my hands out in front, catching the van before it could hit us. The force of it shoved me back against the tan car that she'd parked beside. I braced my shoulders against it, feeling it give way, making a mould in the metal.

I scowled as I realized that if I moved my hands, the van would crush her legs. For crying out loud! Was there anything else that could go wrong? It wasn't as if I could sit, there, holding the van in the air, and wait for rescue.

_I'll get it. _Alice thought as I held the van up. She swung Bella around so that she was lying by the tan car, and with the other she held up the van carefully as I moved my hands from the dent in the side.

Alice dropped the van as I pulled the girl into my side, away from under the van completely. The windows all shattered in unison.

I knew that Alice and I were in trouble now. How much had the girl seen? Had any of the other human witnesses as Alice and I stopped the van?

But at the moment, I was too worried to actually care about the threat of exposure as much as I should. I was too anxious that I might have injured her when I'd hit her head. I was too frightened to have her this close to me, knowing what I might smell if I let myself breathe. I was all too aware of the heat of her soft body, held against mine-even through our jackets, I could feel the heat…

As the screaming of the witnesses exploded around the three of us, Alice and I leaned down to see if she was conscious-both of us hoping that she was not bleeding.

Her eyes were open, blank. With shock?

"Bella?" Alice and I asked at the same time. "Are you alright?"

"Perfect." She said the words calmly. I would have wondered about that, but I was too relieved. The relief was so much it was like a drug.

She struggled to sit up, but I didn't want to let go. It felt… safer, somehow to have her tucked in my side.

"Be careful," I warned her. "I think you hit your head pretty hard."

I couldn't smell blood, but that didn't necessarily mean that there was no internal damage.

_She's going to be fine, Edward. _Alice thought as she read the worry on my face. She showed me proof in her thoughts.

"Ow." Bella said. I sort of sounded like she hadn't realized. She also sounded slightly annoyed.

I wondered why, but didn't ask. I was so relieved…

"Why-" Bella stopped as she realized something, and then changed what she was about to say. "How the… how did you two get over here so fast?"

Oops. She _had _noticed too much. Alice and I exchanged a quick, anxious glance. _You deal with it. _Alice thought.

"I was standing right next to you, Bella." A pathetic excuse. I could hear Alice's slight panic._ You could have made it better than that, Edward. You saw her looking at us before. You idiot. _

She struggled to move again, and this time I let her, sliding over to crouch by Alice. She stared at me. And I stared back. To look away was the first mistake and inexperienced liar would make, and I was not inexperienced. My expression was smooth, careful… It seemed to confuse her. Good.

_**BPOV**_

Why… why had he and Alice even done it? They could have easily, so easily, been seen by the humans. They had risked it. Why? If they were going to lie to me about how they'd arrived so quickly… why had thy risked themselves?

I felt confusion on my face, and saw Edwards eyes look slightly triumphant. He thought my confusion was because of his lie. Wrong.

_**EPOV**_

A crowd of witnesses of the accident swarmed around the van, tear streaming down their faces, shouting at each other, shouting at us not to move… Students were pushing through the gaps in the crowd to see if anyone was mangled in-between the cars. There was a babble of shocked thoughts. I scanned everyone's thoughts once to make sure that there were no suspicions forming yet.

I could see the girl was distracted by the crowd, an expression on her face that I didn't understand. It seemed… annoyed?

_**BPOV**_

The students crowded around us, around the van. There was a flurry of activity. I felt a pang of irritation as the rest watched on. This could have been avoided. I could have simply stepped out of the way, and could have pretend the van had missed me… But instead, Edward and his sister had tried to _save _me. Why?

I felt cold. The snow was warmer than it should have been though- my temperature like a humans today, but it stung my palms anyhow.

I began to get up.

_**EPOV**_

Bella tried to get up of the ground. I put a hand lightly on her shoulder to hold her there. "

"Just stay right there for now."

"But it's cold." She protested.

She had almost been crushed to death, or very nearly been crippled for life, and it was the cold that worried her. A chuckle slid through my teeth before I remembered that our current situation was not funny.

Bella blinked, her eyes focusing on her face. She seemed to consider something before she spoke. "You were over there." She glanced towards the south. "You both by your car."

Alice protested. "No we weren't." Her eyes were wide, golden and innocent. I almost believed her myself.

Bella didn't. "I saw you."

"Bella, we were standing by you. And Edward pulled you out of the way." Alice said, her eyes still completely truthful.

Bella's jaw set. "No."

Alice and I were trying to stay calm, fighting down panic.

_We have to keep her quiet for a few moments, to give us a few minutes to destroy all the evidence._ Alice thought. _And then… well, we can pretend her story has something to do with when she hit her head._

I nodded slightly to her. Yes, that would work. Shouldn't it be easy to keep this silent, secretive girl quiet? iF she would trust us, trust me, just for a few small moments…

"Please, Bella," I said, and my voice too intense, because I suddenly _wanted _her to trust me. Wanted it badly, and illogically. What sense would it make for her to trust _me?_

"Why?" she asked, still defensive.

"Trust me," I pleaded

I heard the sirens approaching.

_**BPOV**_

I knew it was a wasted effort. He would just lie out of it. Or say no. But I still had to ask, just because I really wanted to know if he was like me or not, _really _be sure, despite the fact that it was obvious that he wasn't. "Will you promise to explain everything later?"

"Fine." He snapped, abruptly exasperated.

"Fine." I echoed in the same tone. Smiling slightly in my head.

_**EPOV**_

Alice shot me an exasperated look. _What are you going to tell her?_ But of course, I couldn't risk answering with the girl so close.

S the rescue attempt continued around us, and the sirens grew loud enough for even the humans to hear, I searched every mind around us, double-checking. Many of the minds were surprised to see Alice and I on the ground beside Bella. But they all came to the most likely conclusion, that they hadn't noticed us standing by the girl before the accident.

She was the only on who didn't except this easy explanation, but she would be considered the least reliable witness. She had been terrified, frightened and traumatized, not mention sustaining a blow to the head. She could possibly be in shock. It would be acceptable for her tale to be confused, wouldn't it? No-one would give it much thought…

I winced as the thoughts of Rosalie, Emmett and Jasper arrived on scene. Their teacher- Mr. Varner- was helping move the van away to get the stretchers in, and their first lesson had been interrupted.

Alice felt chagrined as she saw Jasper take in the scene. She knew that he disapproved of this, interfering with humans… And Jasper was worried about Alice, and exposure…

I wanted to smooth out the dent that my shoulders had made against the tan car, but the girl was too close. I'd have to wait.

It was frustrating as the EMT's, Mr. Varner and Coach Clapp all struggled to move the van away. Finally, they had enough room for the stretchers to get in.

A familiar face noticed Alice and me.

"Hey, Edward. Hey, Alice." Hamish Lily said. He was a registered nurse from the hospital. I knew him well. It was a stroke of luck-the only luck I'd had today at all- that he was the first to reach us, "You kids, OK?"

"Nothing touched me." Alice said, smiling slightly. Then she looked worriedly at Bella.

"Bella hit her head pretty hard though, when I yanked her out of the way. She might have concussion." I said calmly.

Hamish turned his head to the girl, who shot me a fierce look of betrayal.

_**BPOV.**_

_Idiot. _The last thing I needed was a whole pile of doctors doing tests and stuff on me.

_**EPOV**_

Oh, right. She was the quiet martyr, who preferred to suffer in silence. But she didn't contradict my story immediately, though, and that mad me feel easier.

The next EMT tried to insist that Alice and I allow us to be treated, but it wasn't too difficult to dissuade him. We both promise that we would let our father examine us, and he let it go. With most humans, speaking calmly was all that was needed. Most humans, just not the girl, of course. Did she fit into _any _of the normal patterns? She didn't even look shaken, even though she had almost been killed by a skidding van.

When she protested about the neck brace, I used the moment of distraction to quietly rearrange the shape of the tan car with my foot. Only my siblings notice what I was doing, and I heard Emmett's mental promise to catch anything I missed.

Grateful for his help- and more grateful that he, unlike jasper and Rosalie, had already forgiven my dangerous choice- I was more relaxed as I climbed into the front seat with Brett. Alice went in the back with Bella, to make sure that she didn't say anything.

There was nothing in the EMT's thoughts to worry me. Alice was blank and silent in the back, and Bella, was thus sticking to the story Alice and I had provided.

For now.

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PLEASE REVIEW!!!


	20. Author's Note

Apologies, to everyone who has been waiting for me to update this FF. )  
I've been Very busy, and haven't had spare time to download anyhthing.  
I promimse that within a week or so i will add another much as it probably doesn't seem to people, i AM a real person, and i HAVe got another life that does not involve fufilling my readers request for new chapters, so BEAR WITH ME. :P Makenna :) 


	21. Chapter 19

They stuck me in the emergency room, and I growled quietly in my head as they put a pressure cuff on my arm and a thermometer under y tongue. This was what I'd been trying to _avoid. _Thank god my skin temperature today was only slightly higher than the average humans.

I had a neck brace around my throat, but when the nurse went away from a second, I hastily pulled it off, shoving it under the lumpy stretcher beside me.

I heard rapidly approaching footsteps, and the squeaking sound of stretcher wheels against the linoleum.

There was a flurry of hospital personnel, and the stretcher came to a stop on the wall beside me. I held my breath. Luckily, it was before the scent f the warm blood actually reached me.

Tyler Crowley, from my government class, was wrapped in seeping, already bloodstained bandages. I kept my mouth shut and didn't breathe.

Why? Why _me_? Stupid Edward.

"Bella, I'm so sorry!" he blurted as I caught his eye.

Stupid van, stupid ice…

Tyler was staring at me anxiously, and I realized that I should say something…

"I'm fine Tyler, are you alright? You look awful." As I spoke; nurses began unwinding his soiled bandages, exposing a pile of shallow slices all over his cheek and forehead. I tried hard not to look at the blood.

He ignored my query, and started to blab.

"I thought I was going to kill you! I was going to fast, and I hit the ice wrong…" He winced as one of the nurses started dabbing his face.

"Don't worry about it- you missed me." I said, trying to keep the bitterness out of my voice.

_You would have missed me even more if _certain people _hadn't been watching me I wouldn't even have been there if _certain people_ hadn't been watching me._

"_How did you get out of the way so fast? You were there, and then you were gone…"_

_Oh, it was nothing… But you know Edward and his sister? Yeah. They crossed the parking lot in a millisecond, stopped the van with their bare hands and 'saved my life', but seriously, I didn't even need their, help… I'm actually a lot faster than them, but because they were both watching..._

The truth would make me should like I _Had_ bashed my head on the concrete. And I was pretty sure that Edward was never in a million years going to explain anything to me, but I was also sure he would be happy if I didn't lie for him. More death glares that meant… and more watching me.

"Um. Edward and Alice Cullen pulled me out of the way." I lied confidently. Tyler missed the hesitation. Strange- humans minds were so slow.

"The Cullens? I didn't see them… wow, it was all so fast I guess. Are they both okay?" I nodded.

"Edward's in here somewhere, I don't know about Alice… they didn't have to use a stretcher."

Stupid idiot Edward. He'd walked in under his own power, gliding through the door as if he owned the place. Alice had stayed by the van as they'd wheeled me away.

Some nurses came to take me to get my head x-rayed.

I told them again and again that there was nothing wrong with me, and I was right, of course, but they still insisted on the x-ray.

Even if I had bruised my head on the pavement, it would've been gone by now. Bruises only took a few hours to go away. Now… a cracked skull _would've _been slightly annoying- cracked bone sometimes to _days _to heal…

When I was in the x-ray room, I quickly filled up my lungs with fresh, untainted air, I asked the nurse if I could leave, but she told me she had to get the x-rays checked by a doctor first.

So I was stuck in the E.R, with a human boy bleeding and harassing me with his contestant apologies, nothing wrong with me, angry and impatient… In the end I tried to sleep- but he still kept up an annoying mumble.

I heard light footsteps, the rhythmic kind that only belonged to four of five people in this town and every single human model off the runway…. I knew who it was instantly. But I kept my eyes shut in annoyance.

He would never explain- if I had been him, saving a 'human', I wouldn't explain why I'd been able to run so fast to their aid. And If I _had _lifted the van so easily as Alice had… I wouldn't explain that either.

And even though he was not human, I was still going to act human around him- anyway I couldn't give the slightest hint to Edward or his family about me.

And if I was acting human still…. A human would be curious. Suspicious. Edward and Alice would have materialized out of thin air… That would be strange. Frightening.

"Is she sleeping?" his musical voice asked. I heard the amused tone in his voice, as if he knew that I wasn't really asleep, only pretending.

I grudgingly opened my eyes.

He was standing in the doorway, smirking. I glared at him- it wasn't easy. What with his looks and everything… it would have seemed more natural to ogle.

"Hey, Edward, I'm really sorry-" Tyler began, before Edward cut him off, lifting a hand and smiling.

"No blood, no foul." He said, his smile growing wider.

He sat on the edge of Tyler's bed, facing me. I felt a stab as I watched him.

He couldn't be the same as me, as much as I found myself wanting… not just because he was obviously stronger, but because of the blood. He was so plainly completely oblivious to the temptation the blood would have had for me.

I if was that close… well, me breathing or not… Tyler would be dead.

"So... what's the verdict?" He asked me.

"There's nothing wrong with me at all, but they wont let me go," I complained, frowning slightly. This was his entire fault.

"…And how come you aren't strapped to one of these stupid stretchers like the rest of us?" I demanded angrily.

"It's all about who you know." He replied with a grin. "But don't worry- I came to spring you."

And then, so on cue hat he had to have been listening to our conversation, walked the most handsome doctor I had ever seen. Blond hair, perfect features, posture… this had to be Carlisle, Edward adopted father.

And it looked like he was just like the rest. My eyes narrowed briefly and I glanced at the window. Two of them… I pleaded for them not to recognized that I was different…

He smiled an angelic smile. "Good morning, Miss Swan. How're you feeling."

"I'm fine." I said quietly, as if my very voice would give me away.

"Well, the x-ray on your head looks perfectly normal..." He said glancing at it, "It seems like you were lucky."

"_Lucky, _that Edward and Alice happened to be there." I said, glaring at where he sat on Tyler's bed.

"Well, yes." The doctor said, exchanging a meaningful look with Edward, and I knew I had been right… his father knew the truth too. He immediately changed the subject, moving forward and feeling where I had 'bashed' my head. I cringed as he touched me, even though I could barely feel anything.

"Tender?" He asked, stepping away.

"Not really." I said, and then shot a glare at Edward when he hid a laugh.

Carlisle shot a look at his son in confusion, and then back at me. "So, seeing as everything seems to be in order… you can go home now. Do you need a lift?"

I frowned. "Can't I just go back to school?"

He smiled. "I think It would better if you just took the rest of the day off. Edward can drive you home."

"Does _he _get to go back to school?" I accused, looking at Edward.

"Someone has to spread the good news we survived." He said cheerfully, grinning easily at my scowl.

"Actually," Carlisle corrected, "Most of the schools seems to be in the waiting room.

Great. Just _perfect. _"Oh no," I moaned quietly o myself. More attention? Gawd.

I got off the bed. "I can walk home by myself."

He frowned in concern, like he cared about my head. Or why I didn't want to be in the same care as Edward. He sighed. "Only if you feel up to it."

"It's really not that far." I got up and walked towards the door. Just before I went through I remembered, and turned around to look at Edward. "Can I talk to you?"

His eyes were immediately wary. "Go ahead."

"Um-Alone?"

Carlisle looked at Edward carefully, turning away from Tyler slighty. Edward's face hardened. He stood and stalked out of the room, and Is tumbled after him.

He knew what I was going to ask… it showed on his face as he turned around angrily once outside.

"What do you want?" He demanded icily.

I cringed back slightly from him, out of his reach, ready to run… just my instincts. "You owe me an explanation." I said quietly.

His voice stayed harsh. "I saved your life- I don't owe you anything."

I flinched, and I felt anger spread through me. _Saved my life? _He'd made my day hell, that was all _he _had done.

Calm, Bella. Play the frightened human girl.

"You promised." I whispered.

"Bella, you hit your head, you don't know what you're talking about." He said desperately.

Oh, so _I _was the one who had smashed my head onto the icy road? Was everything else my fault too? My chin came up. "There is nothing wrong with my head." I hissed angrily, before I could stop myself.

His face turned more unfriendly in response.

"What do you want form me, Bella?"

"I want to know the truth. I want to know why I'm lying for you."

I could always threaten to tell… but that, surely would turn out worse for me. He couldn't afford me blabbing-

"What do you _think _happened?" He snapped angrily.

"You weren't anywhere near me- Tyler didn't see you either, so don't you dare tell me I hit my head too hard. That van was going to crush us both- ad it didn't, and you hands left dents in the side- and you left a dent in the other car, and you're not even hurt- that van should've smashed my legs- but _Alice _was holding it up///  
I clenched my teeth together suddenly, wondering whether I had said too much… there was a faint surprise in his eyes, but it was suddenly extinguished and replaced by anger once more.

"You think Alice lifted a van off you?" he asked, obviously faking sarcasm.

I nodded stiffly.

His voice grew mocking, eyes cruel. "Nobody will believe that you know."

I made an effort to control my anger. When I answered, I spoke every word slowly, deliberately, so he would get the message. "I'm not going to tell anybody."

Of course I wouldn't tell. It would mean he owed me for keeping the secret… btu also I knew that I didn't particuallry _want _to tell. I could do that for him. Keep a secret.

Shock ran across his face for half a second, and then he spoke again. "Then why does it matter?" He asked, and I heard that the severity was fake.

"It matters to me." I said. "I don't like to lie-" I'd lied far too much in my life- "So there better be a good reason why I'm doing it."

"Can't you just thank me and get it over with."

"Thank you," I said, and then waited, fuming silently.

"You not going to let it go, are you."

I could, but of course… that would ruin my act. "No."

"In that case…" he wasn't going to tell me. I could tell, so his next words didn't catch me by surprise. " I hope yo enjoy dissapointment."

We scowled at each other. And a nother question rose to the surface of my mind, and I spoke it angrily. "Why did you even bother?"

His face was suddenly dejected, lost, confused… not angrgy, as I caught him off guard.

"I don't know."

He turned and stalked away, and I stared after him, not thinking.

_hi guys… I hope that's made up for the delay…. Please review… ext chapter will be up as soon as I can e bothered uploading it…_

_thanx._

_mAkEnNa __


	22. Chapter 20

_**ALL DIALOUGE FROM TWILIGHT AND MIDNIGHT SUN, BELONG TO STEPHANIE MEYER. I TAKE ABSOULUTELY NO CREDIT FOR THE STUFF I'VE USED. STEPH WROTE IT ALL. **_

_THANKYOU_

_**EPOV…**_

Alice and I went back to school after I left the hospital. It was the right thing to do-the safest. By the end of the day the students had returned to school as well-half of them had been in the waiting room, anxious about Bella and Tyler.

Only those two, and a couple of others students using the accident to bunk off, were not at school.

And I wished I could ditch too- school was even more boring now than it had ever been. Teachers asked me about how Tyler and Bella were doing, and I said I didn't know. I knew that I should have-for my family's sake- lied a little, saying perhaps that Bella was worse f than Tyler, how she'd hit her head, and might have concussion- and how she was seeing things, even.

But I didn't. It seemed so…_ boorish, _unchivalrous, to slander the girl behind her back, especially when she was seeming so trustworthy now. She hadn't said anything in the hospital, and she'd told me herself that she wasn't going to say anything. And I'd been cruel to her.

School passed quickly as I mulled over the complications I would face when school finished, the argument I knew would have to come…

After Spanish with Emmett- Emmett seemed to be the only one who wasn't concerned with our situation- we walked to the car. No. Emmett was only bothered about who's side he would pick in an argument Rosalie and Jasper on the other hand…

Rosalie was yelling insults at me in the top of her mental lungs, but I tuned her out, more focused on Jasper.

He was sure of his course.

Alice was flipping through images of the future all the way home- mainly Jasper's. No matter what direction Jasper came at the girl, I was always there, stopping him. It was interesting how Jasper planned to work alone- neither Emmett nor Rosalie were with him in any of these visions. That would even things up in the fight.

A fight? Was that where this was headed? Would I fight against my _family _over a human girl I barely knew?

I thought over that for a moment. Thought about the fragileness of the girl's body, compared to Jasper, Rosalie and Emmett-fast, strong, killing machines by nature.

Yes, I would fight for her. Against me family. It wasn't fair to leave her unguarded from something that was my fault.

Jasper was the best, and certainly the most experienced in a fight. My one advantage was that I could hear his moves before he made them.

I had never fought more than playfully with Emmett and Jasper. I felt sick at the thought of actually tried to hurt them…

No, not that. Just to block Jasper. That was all that was needed.

I concentrated on Alice, memorizing Jasper's different venues of attack.

As I did that, her visions changed, moving further and further away from the girl's house. I was cutting him off earlier…

_Stop that, Edward! It can't happen like this. I won't let it._

I didn't answer her, still watching as I drove.

She began searching father ahead-everything was shadowy and vague.

The entire way home, the charged silence did not disappear. I parked in the big garage of the house; Carlisle's Mercedes was there, next to Emmett's big jeep, and Rosalie's Vanquish was hidden away in the corner. I was glad Carlisle was home already- the silence would end explosively, and I wanted him to be there when it happened.

We went straight to the dining room, where, of course, we never ate, but used it instead as a conference room. When it was used, everyone sat t the furnished mahogany table.

Carlisle sat at his usual seat at the head of the room. Esme was beside him-they held hand over the table.

Esme's eyes were on me, their golden depths troubled. _Stay._ It was her only thought.

I had no reassurances for her.

I sat in Carlisle's other side. Esme put her free hand on my shoulder-she had no idea what was about to start, she only worried about me.

Carlisle had a better sense of what was coming. His forehead was creased.

As everyone else sat, I could see the sides being taken.

Rosalie sat directly across from Carlisle- she never stopped glaring at me. Emmett sat beside her, his face and his thoughts both wry. Jasper hesitated, and then went to stand by the wall behind Rosalie. He was absolutely decided, no matter what the out come of this decision.

Alice was the last to come in, her eyes unfocused as she looked into the hazy future- it was still too indistinct for her to make use of. Without seeming to think about it, she beside Esme. She rubbed her forehead as if she had a headache. Jasper twitched uneasily and considered joining her, but kept his place.

I took a deep breath. I ad started this.

"I'm sorry," I said, looking first at Rose, then Jasper and Emmett. "I didn't mean to out any of you at risk. It was thoughtless, and I take full responsibility for the action." Alice really wouldn't have done anything if I hadn't of needed help.

Rosalie glared at me. "What do you mean- 'take full responsibility'? Are you going to fix it?"

"Not the way you mean," I said, working to keep my voice even and quiet. "Bu I'm willing to leave now, if that will make things better." _And if I believe the girl is safe, and that none of you will touch her. _I amended in my head.

"No," Esme murmured. "No, Edward".

I patted her hand, still on my shoulder. "It's only a few years."

"Esme's right thought," Emmett said, "If you leave, that will just be the _opposite _of helpful. We have to know what's happening now, more than ever."

"Alice will catch anything major." I disagreed.

Carlisle shook his head. "I think Edward is right Edward, the girl is more likely to talk if you disappear. It's all of us leave, or none."

"She won't say anything, though." I insisted. I could feel Rosalie ready to start an explosion, and I wanted this out before she did.

"You don't know her mind." Carlisle pointed out.

" I know this much. Alice, back me up."

Alice stared up at me wearily. "I can't see what will happen if we ignore this." She glanced at Rosalie and Jasper.

Of course she couldn't- Rosalie and Jasper were too decided against ignoring the incident.

Rosalie's palm smacked the table with a loud bang. "We can't allow the human to have a chance to say anything. Carlisle, you _have _to see that. Even if we do leave, you _know _it's not safe to leave stories behind us. We live so differently from the rest of our kind-you know there are those who would love an excuse to point fingers. We have to be more careful than anyone else!"

"We've left rumors behind us before," I reminded her.

"Just rumors and _suspicions, _Edward, not eyewitnesses and evidence!"

"Evidence!" I scoffed.

Jasper was nodding, eyes hard.

"Rose-" Carlisle began.

"Let me finish, Carlisle. It doesn't have to be any big production. The girl hit her head today- maybe that injury was worse than it looked." She shrugged. "Every mortal goes to sleep with the chance of waking up. And the others would expect us to clean this up. Technically, that would make it Edward's job, but this is obviously beyond him. You know I'm capable o control. I would leave no evidence behind me."

"Yes, Rosalie, we all know how proficient an assassin you are." I snarled as soon as she was done volunteering herself to murder the girl.

She hissed at me, furious.

"Edward, please," Carlisle said. Then he turned to Rosalie. "Rosalie, I looked the other way on Rochester because I felt you were owed you justice. The men you

killed had wronged you monstrously. This is different. The Swan child is innocent."

"It's nothing personal, Carlisle," Rosalie said, "It's to protect us all."

There was a very short second of silence as Carlisle thought over how to phrase his answer. When he nodded, Rosalie's eyes lit up. She should have known better- even if I didn't' have my gift, I would have been able to anticipate Carlisle's next words.

"I know that you mean well by this, Rosalie, but… I'd very much like for our family to be _worth_ protecting. The occasional lapse in self control is part of who we are." It was very like him to include himself in the 'we' even though he had never had such an accident himself. " To murder a blameless child in cold blood is another matter entirely. I believe the risk she presents, whether she speaks her suspicions or not, is minimal. If we make exceptions to protect ourselves, we create a larger risk, a risk of losing ourselves. The very essence of what we are."

I controlled my expression very carefully. It wouldn't do well at all to grin. Or applaud, as I wanted.

Rosalie scowled. "It's just being responsible, Carlisle."

"It's being callous," Carlisle corrected gently, "Every life is precious."

Rosalie sighed deeply and her lower lip pouted out Emmett patted her arm. "It'll be fine, rose.," he encouraged in a quiet voice.

"The question," Carlisle continued, "Is whether we should move on to another place or not."

"No," Rosalie moaned. "We just got settled- and I _like _it here, there's so little sun, we almost seem _normal."_

"Well, we certainly don't have to move right now. We can wait till its absolutely necessary. Edward seems certain of the swan girl's silence."

Rosalie snorted.

I was no longer worried about Rose. I could see that she would tag along with Carlisle's decision, no matter how infuriated she was with me. What they were discussing now was unimportant.

Jasper remained unmoved.

I understood why. Before he and Alice had met, he'd lived in a combat zone, where there had always been the relentless threat of war. And he knew the consequences of flouting rules-he'd seen the grizzly aftermath with his own two eyes.

"Jasper," I said.

He met my gaze with an expressionless face.

"She won't pay for my mistake. I won't allow that."

"She benefits from it then? The girl should have died today, Edward. I would only set that right."

I repeated myself, emphasizing each word. "I will not allow it."

His eyebrows shot up He wasn't expecting that I would act to stop him.

He shook his head once. "I won't let Alice live in danger, in the slightest. Somehow she got dragged into this thing today, but you don't feel about anyone the way I feel about her, Edward. You haven't lived through what I've liven through, whether you've seen my memories or not. You don't understand."

"I'm not disputing that, Jasper. But I'm telling you now, I wont allow you to hurt Isabella Swan."

We stared at each other, Jasper tasting my mood to figure out how determined I was.

"Jazz." Alice said, interrupting us.

He held my gaze for a moment more, and then looked to her. "Don't bother telling me that you can protect yourself, Alice. I've still got to-"

"That's not what I was going to say, "Alice interrupted. "I was going to ask you a favor."

I saw what was on her mind, and my mouth fell open with an audible gasp. I stared at her, in horrified shock, only vaguely aware that everyone besides Alice and Jasper were eying me warily.

"I know you love me. Thanks. But I would really appreciate it if you don't kill Bella. First of all, Edward serious and I don't want you two fighting. Second, she's my friend. Or at least she's _going_ to be."

It was as clear as glass in her head: lice, smiling with her arm round the girl's warm, fragile shoulders and Bella was smiling too, her arm round Alice's waist.

The vision was rock-solid; only the timing of it was un-exact.

"But…Alice…"Jasper gasped. I couldn't turn my head to see his expression. Even if I had, I wouldn't have been able to see it anyway- Alice's vision was infront of my eyes, and I couldn't tear myself away from it.

"I'm going to love her someday, Jazz. I'll be very put out with you if you don't let her be."

I was still locked into Alice's mind. I saw the future change as she concentrated and Jaspers resolve wavered.

"Ah." She sighed-his indecision, and her concentration, had both cleared the future. "See? Bell's not going to say anything. There is noting to worry about."

The way she said the girl's name… like they were already best friends.

"Alice," I choked. "What…does this…?"

"I told you there was a change coming. I don't know, Edward." But when she locked her jaw, I could see there was more. She was trying not to think about it, suddenly focusing very hard on Jasper.

She did this sometimes when she tried to keep secrets from me.

"What, Alice? What are you hiding?"

I heard Emmett grumble. He always got frustrated when Alice and I had these kinds of conversations.

She shook her head, trying not to let me in.

"is it about the girl?" I demanded. "Is it about Bella?"

She had her teeth gritted in concentration, but when I said the girl's name, she slipped. Her slip only lasted the tiniest portion of a second, but that was enough.

"NO!" I shouted. I heard my chair hit the floor, and only then realized that I was on my feet.

"Edward!" Carlisle was up too, his hand on my shoulder. I was barely aware of him.

"It's solidifying," Alice whispered. "Every minute you're firming up. There's only two ways left for her. It's one or the other."

I could see what she saw… but I could not accept it.

"No, "I said again; there was no volume to my denial. My legs felt hollow, and I had to brace myself against the table.

"Will someone _please _let the rest of us in on the mystery." Emmett moaned.

"I have to leave," I whispered to Alice, ignoring him.

"Edward, we've already been over that," Emmett said loudly. "That's the best way to set the girl talking. Besides if we take off, we won't know for sure whether she's talking or not. You have to stay and deal with this."

"I don't see you going anywhere Edward." Alice said. 'I don't think you _can _leave anymore." _Think about it, _she added silently, _Think about leaving._

I saw what she meant. Yes, the idea of never seeing the girl again was painful. But it was also necessary. I couldn't sanction either future I had apparently condemned her to.

_I'm not entirely sure of Jasper, Edward, _Alice went on,_ If he thinks she's a danger to us…_

"I don't hear that, "I contradicted her, still only half aware of our audience. Jasper was wavering. He would not do something that would hurt Alice.

_Not this moment. Will you risk her life, leave her unprotected?_

"Why are you doing this to me?" I groaned. My head fell into my hands.

I was not Bella's protector. I could not be that. Wasn't Alice's divided future proof of that.

_I love her, too. Or I will. It's not the same, but I want her around for that. _

"Love her, _too?"_ I whispered, incredulous.

She sighed. _You are so blind, Edward? Can't you see where you are headed with this. Can't you see where you already are? Its more inevitable than the sun rising in the east. See what I see?_

I shook my head, horrified. "NO." I tried to shut out the visions she revealed to me." I don't have to follow that course. I'll leave. I _will _leave."

"You can try," she said in a skeptical voice.

"Oh, _come on_!" Emmet bellowed.

"Pay attention," Rose hissed at him. "Alice sees him falling for a _human_! How classically Edward!" she made a gagging sound.

I scarcely hard her.

"What?" Emmett said, startled. Then his booming laugh broke the room. "Is that what's been going on?" He laughed again. "Tough break, Edward."

I felt his hand on my shoulder, and I shook it off absently. I couldn't pay attention to him.

"_Fall _for a human?" Esme repeated in a stunned tone. "For the girl he saved today? Fall in _love _with her?"

"What do you see, Alice? Exactly," Jasper demanded.

She turned to him; I continued to stare numbly at the side of her face.

"It all depends on whether or not he is strong enough. Either he'll kill her himself"-she turned, meeting my gaze again, glaring-"which would _really _annoy me, not to mention what it would do to _you-_"she faced Jasper again-"Or she'll be one of us someday."

Somebody gasped. I didn't look to see who.

"That's not going to happen!" I was shouting again. "Either one!"

Alice didn't seem to hear me. "It all depends," she repeated, "He may just be strong enough not to kill her-but it will be close. It will take an amazing amount of control," she mused, "more than even Carlisle has. He may _just _be strong enough. The only thing he's not strong enough to do is stay away from her."

I couldn't find my voice. No one else seemed to be able to either. Everyone was motionless.

I stared at Alice, and everyone else stared at me. I could see my horrified expression from five different view points.

After a long time, Carlisle sighed.

"Well, this… complicates things."

"I'll say." Emmett agreed. His voice was still close to laughter.

Trust Emmett to find the joke in the destruction of my life.

"I suppose our plans remain the same, tough," Carlisle said thoughtfully. "We will stay, and watch. Obviously, no one will…hurt the girl."

I stiffened.

"No, "Jasper said quietly. "I can agree to that. If Alice only sees two ways-"

"No!" My voice was not a shout or a growl or a cry of despair, but some combination of the three. "No!"

I had to leave, to be away from the noise of their thoughts. Rosalie's self-righteous disgust, Emmett's humor, Carlisle's never ending patience…

Worse: Alice's confidence. Jasper's confidence in that confidence.

Worst of all: Esme's… _joy._

I stalked out the room. Esme touched my arm as I passed, but I didn't acknowledge the gesture.

I was running before I was out of the house. I cleared the river and raced into the forest. The rain was back again, falling so heavily that I was drenched in a few moments. I liked the thick sheet of water-it made a barrier between me and the rest of the world. It closed me it, let me be alone.

I ran east, over and through the mountains without course, until I could see the lights of Seattle on the other side. I stopped before I touched the borders of human civilization.

Shut in by the rain, all alone, I finally made myself look at the way I had ruined the future.

First, the vision of Alice and the girl with their arms wrapped around each other- the trust and friendship was so obvious, it shouted from the image. Bella's wide chocolate brown eyes were not bewildered in this vision, but full of secrets- in this moment they seemed to be happy secrets. She did not flinch away from Alice's icy arm.

What did that mean? How much did she know? In that still-life moment of the future, what did she think of _me?_

The other image, so much the same, yet now colored by horror, Alice and Bella, their arms still wrapped round each other in trusting friendship. But there was no difference between those arms- both were white, smooth as marble, hard as steel. Bella's wide eyes were no longer chocolate. The irises were a topaz, bright butterscotch, brighter than even Alice's were. The secret in them were unfathomable- acceptance or desolation? It was impossible to tell. Her face was cold and immortal.

I shuddered. I could not suppress the questions, so similar, but different: what did it mean-how had this come about? And what did she think of me now?

I could answer the last one. If I forced her into this empty half-life through weakness and selfishness, surely she would hate me.

Bu there was one more horrifying image-worse than any image that I'd ever held inside my head.

My own eyes, deep crimson with human blood, the eyes of a monster. Bella's broken body in my arms, ashy white, drained, lifeless. It was so concrete, so clear.

I couldn't stand to see this. Could not bear it. I tried to banish it from my mind, tried to see something else, anything else. Tried to see again the expression of her living face that had obstructed my view for the last chapter of my existence. All to no avail.

Alice's bleak vision filled my head, and I writhed internally with the agony it caused. Meanwhile, the monster in me was overflowing likelihood of his success. It sickened me.

This could not be allowed. There had to be a way to circumvent the future. I could not let Alice's visions direct me. I could choose my path. I would ignore was always another choice.

There had to be.

_Alright, alright. Yes. YES, It is copied from Stephanie Meyer's draft of Midnight Sun. Except for a few bits. But I Had to OK? Im having a serious mental block today- and I apoligized over and over in my head while I typed this up… and yeah,,_

_ALL OF THE TWILIGHT CHARACTERS, AND ALL THE DIALOUGE BELONG TO STEPHNIE MEYER._

_And YES, Alice thinks she saw Bella as a vampire. THINKS is the key word there, people. _

_Please review- don't be mad at me for using midnight sun. Please._

_-mAkEnNa_


	23. Chapter 21

_Hi._

_**Disclaimer:**__ I AM NOT STEPHANIE MEYER AND ALL TWILIGHT CHARACTERS BELONG TO Her…_

_HI. Please review if u like this chapter, or whatever._

I dreamed.

I dreamed of a forest, and everything was purple black. It was nighttime. I was standing, watching a figure retreat into the haze of trees.

I was torn, about to call to the pale figure, stumbling after him into the trees, and then stopping as I wondered what the hell I was doing.

I stopped myself from calling out. And then I called out anyway, calling for him to stop. To not go. I felt like I was being wrenched apart as he left me on my own.

I called again, running through the blackness. I screamed. And the scream caught in my throat. I stopped running. I turned around and ran away. But I was running forwards, not back wards. I ran in the same direction no matter what way I turned. And I was always following the pale figure. No matter how hard my dream self didn't want to. I called ad cried, tripping in mid step.

I woke, breathless. I hated this. Why was I so obsessed with Edward Cullen? I felt hypnotized as I picture his face. Tongue tied. I was floating in my head, my mind clouded…

It had been a month since the accident. I'd had the same dream every night, Edward always walking away from me… me calling after him. In real life, he ignored me just as solidly as he did in my dreams, never speaking or even looking at me.

And it annoyed me. Hurt me. But, after all- it was what I'd wanted wasn't it? I'd wanted him to keep his distance from me, so he wouldn't know that I wasn't a human being.

No. In truth, I hadn't wanted him to ignore me. I'd wanted him to know. But I was afraid. He was strong, far stronger than me. He could hurt me, unlike anyone I' ever come across. No human could hurt me. But him and his family could.

Even his little sister Alice was stronger than me- she'd held up that van with one had easily, as if it weighed hardly anything. Even I would have found that difficult- I would need both hands.

I also was no closer to finding out what he was. I was determined to figure out on my own, just using my head. All I knew was than the was fast, but not like I was. They were all strong. And their eyes all changed from black to gold every couple of weeks.

They avoided humans, just like I had in the beginning. But I'd given up on that

Mike Newton was so annoying. I acted like I was listening to his conversations though, and I was nice to everyone. Polite.

I didn't know _why._ It was just an instinct, I guess. Mike was obviously pleased that Edward and I were keeping a distance. I could sort of tell that he had been worrying that after the stupid van accident, I might have been impressed by Edwards daring rescue, and he seemed to be relieved now that it had had the opposite effect.

This had irritatingly made him more confident. He sat perched on the edge of my table at biology, ignoring Edward just as completely as Edward ignored us.

After the day of the accident, there had been no snow what so ever, and Mike was pleased that his beach trip would be possible soon- it was pretty much all he talked about.

I sighed and pulled myself of my moodiness. It was time to get ready for school. I shoved The Cullens into a cage in my mind. No doubt they would escape when I saw Edward at school.

Last night, Jessica had called me to see if she could ask Mike to the Spring Dance. _What the hell? _I'd thought in confusion.

"Are you sure you don't mind… you weren't going to ask him or anything, right?" she persisted after I told her I didn't mind.

"No Jess, I'm not going." Like I could stand being clumsy and dancing. I hadn't even ever been to a dance before. The first village I'd stayed in had had village dances… almost one hundred and twenty years ago. I'd been to one, with a random human man… but I'd caught the scent of blood-and I'd run away.

"It will be really fun." Jessica tried to convince half-heartedly. I suspected that Jessica enjoyed my popularity more than my actual company.

"No, jess, I honestly don't want to go. You have fun with Mike."

So today at school I was surprised that Jessica wasn't her usual gushing self in Trig. She was silent as she by my side in-between classes, and I was afraid to ask her why. I was concerned about her-she looked sad- but I knew that if Mike had turned her down, I would be the last person she would wan to tell.

My worry strengthened during lunch as Jessica sat as far from mike as possible, chatting animatedly with Eric. Mike was unusually quiet.

Mike was sill quiet as we walked to class, the uncomfortable look on his face a worryingly bad sign. He wasn't going to ask me, was he? He'd better not. Jessica would hate me. But he didn't broach the subject until I was in my seat and he was sitting on the edge of my desk.

"So." He began. "Jessica asked me to the Spring Dance." Holy crap. He _was _going to ask. How weird.

"That's great!" I made my voice enthusiastic. "You'll have fun with Jess."

"Well…" he floundered as he examined my smile, not happy with my response. "I told her I had to think about it."

"Why would you do that?" In a disapproving tone. But I was slightly relieved that he hadn't given her a definite 'no.' .

His face was a bright red as he looked down. Pity spread through me- this was hard for humans. They always were embarrassed and worried…

"I was wondering if, well, you were planning to ask me."

I paused for a moment, trying to ignore the guilt washing through me. And out the corner of my eye I saw Edwards head tilt slightly in my direction.

"Mike, I think you should tell her yes." I said gently.

"Did you already… ask someone?" I wondered whether Edward noticed Mike's eyes flicker towards him.

"No," I assured him. "I'm not going to the dance at all."

"Why not?" Mike asked.

_Let's see… Because if I risk being so close to you or anyone else, I might go into a blood frenzy and kill a whole pile of innocent human kids. _

Instead, I said "Well… That's my business, isn't it?"

Mike glanced at Edward again, so I made a quick plan. "I'm going to Seattle that weekend."

"Oh… Well, can't you go some other weekend?"

"Sorry, no." I replied. "And you shouldn't make Jess wait any longer- its rude."

"Yeah, you're right." He mumbled, turning dejectedly to his seat. I closed my eyes and pressed my fingers to my temples, trying to get rid of Mike's dejected face. I didn't want to be sympathetic to humans- it made me closer to them.

Mr. Banner began talking, and I sighed, opening my eyes.

And Edward was staring at me curiously, that same look of familiar frustration in his black eyes for the fist time in weeks.

I stared back, surprised, expecting him to look quickly away. But instead he continued to look searchingly into my eyes. I didn't look away, trying to figure out a dozen questions in my head.

"Mr. Cullen?" Mr. Banner asked, seeking an answer to a question I hadn't heard.

"The Krebs cycle." He answered, seeming reluctant as he turned to Mr. Banner.

I looked down at my book as soon as he turned away, shifting my hair over my shoulder so I wouldn't look at him during the lesson and be distracted. I couldn't believe the rush of emotion pulsing through me- just because he'd happened to look at e for the first time in a half-dozen weeks. I couldn't allow him to have this level of influence over me. It was pathetic.

More than pathetic, it was dangerous.

I tried very hard to not be aware of him as the lesson progressed, but seeing as than was impossible, I tried not to let him know how aware I was. When the bell rang at last I turned my back to him to get my books, expecting him to leave as quickly as usual.

"Bella?" I wished his voice wasn't so familiar to me. It was like I'd known it all my existence, not only a few short weeks.

I turned slowly, unwillingly. I didn't want to feel what I knew I _would _feel when I looked at his perfect face. My expression was wary when I did turn to him. His expression was unreadable, but he didn't say anything.

"What? Are you speaking to me again?" I finally asked, an unintentional note of annoyance in my voice. I felt shocked as I realized that I hadn't been careful of how I'd spoken. I hadn't thought of what my face should look like- how to be human.

Oops. But at least I hadn't said anything wrong.

His lips twitched, as if he was fighting a smile." No, not really." He admitted.

I closed my eyes, so I could concentrate on what to say. I had a feeling I would blurt out my secrets as I looked into his wits-scrambling face.

"Then what do you want, Edward?" I asked, keeping my eyes closed; still needing to concentrate.

"I'm sorry." He sounded sincere. "I'm being rude, I know. But it's better this way, really."

I opened my eyes. His face was serious.

"I don't know what you mean," I said, my voice guarded.

"It's better if we aren't friends," he explained. "Trust me."

My eyes narrowed. I'd heard _that _before. I wondered what to say. Maybe I should try get him to ignore me more- by being angry.

"It's too bad you didn't figure that out before," I hissed through my teeth, keeping controlled fury on my face. "You could have saved yourself all this regret."

"Regret?" My tone and the word had caught him off guard. But I didn't want him feeling sorry for me. I didn't want to be friends or _anything _with him, I lied to myself. "Regret for what?"

"For just not letting that stupid van squish me." I was impressed with my quick improvisation.

He looked astonished, staring at me in disbelief. I wondered if I still looked human enough.

When he finally spoke, he almost sounded mad. Good. "You think I regret saving your life?"

_Saving my life?_ He was the one who _stuffed up _my life. He'd made me the target for unwanted attention for two whole weeks. Idiot. Who'd he think he was, superman or something? If I'd had _my _way, I could have avoided everything.

"I _know _you do," I snapped, trying to inject my fury- real now – into the one short line. It was better to make a fake argument than actually yell at him about what I was mad about. Stupid jerk.

"You don't know anything." He was definitely mad.

I turned my head sharply away from him, clenching my jaw against all the other accusations I wanted to hurl at him.

I grabbed my books and walked to the door, fuming. And then, before I entered the doorframe, I suddenly realized that I'd forgotten to walk clumsily. As much as I didn't want to in front of Edward, I would have to cover it up by tripping.

I caught my toe on the door jam and dropped my books. I was still mad. _Edward _was the one who didn't know anything! He still hadn't guessed about me yet. _He _couldn't act- I'd seen through his charade in a week. I looked at my books and considered leaving them.

I sighed and bent to pick them up. And then out of the corner of my eye, as I bent down, I saw Edward run, too quickly for a human to see, across the room towards me. I continued to move slowly towards my books.

He stacked them in a pile, and I smirked slightly, quickly. He didn't know I could see him. A human couldn't. I returned to fake anger, not mad anymore, not really.

Edward handed me my books.

"Thank you," I said, pretend iciness in my voice.

His eyes narrowed at my tone.

"You're welcome." He retorted.

I straightened up, as swiftly s a human could, turned away from him again and went to gym without looking back.

Gym was horrible. We'd moved on to basketball. My team never passed me the ball, but my head was full of Edward, and I didn't se the ball as it rocketed off the basket ball hoop and thonked me on the head.

I clutched my forehead, holding my hand there until I was sure the bruise had disappeared in couple of seconds. Mike looked concerned, but I said that I wasn't hurt.

It was a relief, as always, to leave. I'd dropped history a couple of weeks ago- I was sick of hearing about things that hadn't seemed like a big deal when I had witnessed them. Now P.E was my worst class.

So I went to my Audi, really wanting to go home, more than I had in weeks. I heard a heart beat by my Audi, and frowned. My car admirers hadn't been crowding round my car in weeks- though they still shot dazed looks at it from across the lot.

It turned out to be Eric. "Hey, Eric." I called.

"Hi, Bella."

"What's up?" I asked as I unlocked the door. I wasn't paying attention to the uncomfortable edge in his voice- I had just realized the change in me since I'd first moved to Forks High. I distinctly remembered being disgusted by Eric. He seemed alright now- though he still _did _need to wash his hair. And because I hadn't been paying attention to that edge, his next words took me by surprise.

"Uh, I was just wondering… if you would go to the spring dance with me?" His voice broke on the last word.

I didn't like him that much. "I thought it was the girl's choice?"

"Well, yeah." He admitted, shamefaced.

I felt pity for him, stronger than I had for Mike, because he was unlikely to get a date at all. I tried to make my smile warm. "Thank you for asking me, but I'm going to be in Settle that Saturday."

"Oh," he said. "Well, maybe next time."

"Sure." I agreed, and then bit my lip. I didn't want him to take that too literally.

He slouched off towards school. I heard a low chuckle, and the light footsteps that no-one else I knew had.

Edward was walking past the front of my Audi, looking straight forwards, his lips pressed together. I yanked the door of my car open and jumped inside. I reversed into the aisle. Edward was in his car already, two spaces down, sliding out smoothly in front of me, cutting me off. He stopped there-to wait for his family; I could see the four of them walking this way, but still by the cafeteria.

I wished I was driving a tank, and that my car wasn't so valuable, so that I could take off the rear end of his Volvo. I looked in my rearview mirror, at the queue forming. I hoped Edward would get in trouble for this.

While I was sitting there, looking everywhere but the car in front of me, I heard a heart beat, louder than the rest, and loud footsteps outside my car. Tyler Crowley knocked on my window.

His car was running, the door left open. I slid down the window, I was annoyed- it was Edward's fault, not mine. Wasn't that obvious?

"I'm sorry, Tyler, I'm stuck behind Cullen."

"Oh, I know- I just wanted to ask you something while we were trapped here." He grinned.

Oh great. Three times in one day. Wow.

"Will you ask me to the Spring Dance?" he continued.

"I'm not going to be in town, Tyler." My voice was sharp. I had to remind myself that it wasn't his fault that mike and Eric had already used up my quota of patience for today.

"Yeah, Mike said that." Tyler admitted.

Humans were so weird sometimes. "Then why-"

He shrugged. "I was jus hoping that you were letting him down easy."

So it was completely his fault.

"Sorry, Tyler," I said, still trying to hide my irritation, "I really am going to be out of town."

"That's cool. We still have prom."

I was abruptly angry- he walked away, back to his car. There was shock on my face. Humans were so _stupid._ Why the hell-

Laughter cut off my thoughts. I looked to the car in front of me to see Alice, Emmett, Rosalie and Jasper all sliding into the Volvo. In his rearview mirror-Edward's eyes were on me. He was shaking with laughter, as if he'd heard every word Tyler had said… which was possible, I guess. I scowled at him.

"Stop being an idiot." Rosalie, the beautiful blond, hissed at him. "If you _can. _Let's go."

I was glad that she'd spoken to him like that, and smirked slightly. He drove away.

When I got home, I made my steak. As I fried it, the phone rang. I wondered whether it was the people who had installed my fridge, or one of the other people who had helped decorate my house.

I answered it. It was Jessica, and she was jubilant. Mike had caught her after school and accepted her invitation. I celebrated with her briefly as I flipped my steak over. She had to go- she wanted to call Angela and Lauren to tell them, and I suggested- with casual innocence- that maybe Angela, the kind shy human who had Biology with me, could ask Eric. And Lauren, the standoffish girl who ignored me at the lunch table, could ask Tyler; I'd heard he was still available. Jess thought that was a great idea.

I frowned as I hung up the phone, trying to remember when I had ever given her my phone number. I hoped she wasn't going to make this a regular thing.

I cut up my steak into smaller pieces, because it was taking too long to cook. As I did, I wasn't paying attention. I was thinking about what Edward had said in Biology- about us not being friends.

I guessed this was because he didn't want a 'human' who already knew he wasn't human, to get anymore clues on what he was. It was why I, even though I didn't want to, avoided him.

"Ouch! Dammit!" I cried out as I cut myself with the knife. I stuck my hand under the water, waiting for it to heal over. There was that itching feeling, and then I felt the skin knit together, and pulled my hand out from under the tap. The small pink line would be gone by tonight.

I ate my steak in a rush, not tasting it….

_And…. This chapter is long that ur gonna have to go to the next chapter to find out what she does after she eats her steak. Mmm… Steak _

_But B4 u do- PLEASE HIT THAT GREEN THINGMAJIG THAT SAYS REVIEW AND… SOMETHING. _

_-mAkEnNa_


	24. Chapter 22

… and then went upstairs to my room. I had started a habit of walking around my house at a human pace, just so I was used to it for school. So it took me a while to get upstairs.

Upstairs had carpet now-they'd layed it down last week, and I'd moved all the new furniture in. Inside my room, I sat down at the keyboard.

In my old house in Phoenix, I'd had a piano, an old one, polished and perfectly tuned… I'd taught myself how to play. Piano music was restful. And then when I'd come here, I'd left it in my old apartment. So, Thursday last week, when I'd walked past a shop called Beggs Music Store in Port Angeles, I'd gone in on impulse and bought an electric keyboard.

I didn't have any music, but I remembered some of the tunes from Phoenix. Fur Elise, Scarborough Fair, Ballade Pour Adeline, Minuet, Berceuse D' Auvergne… I played them for a while, not really paying attention to the keys, just mulling over things in my head… not wanting to go to sleep and dream about Edward… Pathetic…

The keyboard sounded different from my old piano-there was a vibrato sound effect to it that made it sound metallic.

I added a bridge to the song and went on to the third page. I frowned as I tried to remember the fourth bar… was there a sharp? I tried, but it still sounded wrong…

I shut the power off, giving up. I went and collapsed on the bed.

_**EPOV**_

I knew I shouldn't be here. _Insane,_ a voice in my head sneered at me.

It was past midnight, and Bella's house was dark and quiet. Her black Audi Coupe was parked in the driveway.

No one in her neighbor hood was awake, I could tell. I watched the house from a fringe of forest. The front door, no doubt, would be locked, so I couldn't go in that way. Not because I would be deterred by the locked door, but because I didn't want to leave a broke door behind me.

I decided to try the upstairs window first- no body would go to the trouble of installing a lock there. But then, this girl wasn't like most people, was she?

I crossed the yard, and scaled the face of the house in an instant, standing on the tree branch level with the window, and peered through the glass.

My breath caught. It was her room. Bella lay asleep on the small bed, moving in small movements as she slept.

I felt overpowered by self-disgust as I watched her through the window. How was I better than any sick peeping tom? I wasn't much better. This was the kind of this Mike Newton would do- peer at the girl as she slept. Ugh.

I was about to let myself drop off the tree branch, but had one last look at her face. It wasn't peaceful- there was a small frown on her face in-between her eyebrows. Her lips trembled, then parted.

"It's cold…why…" she muttered.

Bella talked in her sleep.

Curiosity over powered my self-disgust. The lure of those unconsciously spoken thoughts was so tempting…

I tried the window. As I'd guessed, it wasn't locked, and it didn't make a sound as I pushed the metal frame gently upwards. I slid silently through the half open window.

Her room was small, unorganized, but clean.

There were books of the floor by her bed, spines facing away from me, and scattered around her cheap C.D player. In the corner was an electric keyboard. I hadn't realized that she could play keyboard.

I wondered why he C.D player was so cheap. She had money-maybe she inherited it off her parents when they died - you could tell by her car. Audi coupes were powerful cars, quiet, but fast… they cost a lot. Maybe the car had belonged to her parents?

I wanted to go read her and book covers, but I'd promised myself I would keep my distance. So I sat on the windowsill, keeping my hands to myself.

I thought over a lot of things in my mind. About what Alice had said, about me loving her… and what else Alice had said.

I didn't love her… did I? Well, she strangely fascinated me, and surely that would some how lean in the direction of Alice's prediction eventually.

And whether I loved her or not, I would be so repulsed if I killed this fragile human girl. And whether I loved her or not, she could never love me back. I was a monster… who had been unfair to her.

And I could not hope to rival the human boys, whether the specific boys appealed to her or not. After all, I _was _a monster… How could she see me as anything else? If she knew the truth… it would frighten her, repulse her.

It was foolishness to imagine, that if _I _had been one of the people to ask her to the silly dance, she would have cancelled the hastily made plan to go to Seattle, and agreed to go with me.

I was not the one she was destined to say yes to. It was someone else… someone human, and warm. And I could not even let myself- some day when that yes was said- hunt him down out of jealousy, because she deserved him, whoever he was. She deserved happiness and love with whomever she chose.

I owed it to her to do the right thing, and leave- I could no longer pretend that I was really _in danger _of falling in love with this girl.

After all, if it didn't really matter if I left, because she would never she me in the way I wished she would. Never as someone worthy of her love.

Never. Ever.

Could a dead, frozen heart break? It felt like mine would.

"Edward," Bella said.

I froze. Had she woken, caught me here? I looked at her unopened eyes, her peaceful face… she _looked _asleep, yet her voice had been so clear.

She sighed quietly, and moved, rolling in her sleep- proof that she was till asleep, and dreaming.

"Edward," she mumbled softly.

She was dreaming of me?

Could a dead, frozen heart beat again? It felt like mine would.

"Stay," she mumbled. "Don't go… Please… don't go." She was dreaming of me, and it wasn't even a nightmare. She wanted me to stay with her, in her dream.

_THIS IS A SPOILER! Copied from Draft Of Midnight Sun, By Stephanie Meyer. I take no credit for the following…_

I struggled to find words to name the feelings that flooded through me, but there were no words strong enough to hold them. For a long moment, I drowned in them.

When I surfaced, I was not the same man I had been.

My life was an unending, unchanging midnight. It must, by necessity, always be midnight for me. So how was it possible that the sun was rising now, in the middle of my midnight?

At the time I had become a vampire, trading my soul for immortality in the searing pain of transformation, I had truly been frozen. My body had turned into something more like rock than flesh, enduring and unchanging. My _self_ also had frozen as it was- my personality, my likes and dislikes, my moods and my desires; all were fixed in place.

It was the same for the rest of the. We were all frozen. Living stone.

When change came for us, it was a rare and permanent thing. I had seen it happen with Carlisle, and then a decade later with Rosalie. Love had changed them in an eternal way, a way that had never faded. More than eighty years had passed since Carlisle had found Esme, and yet he still looked at her with the incredulous eyes of first love. It would always be that way for them.

It would always be that way for me, too. I would always love this fragile human girl, for the rest of my limitless existence.

I gazed at her unconscious face, feeling this love for her settle into every portion of my stone body.

She slept more peacefully now, a slight smile on her lips.

Always watching her, I began to plot.

I loved her, and so I would try to be strong enough to leave her. I knew I wasn't that strong now. I would work on that one. But perhaps I was strong enough to circumvent the future in another way.

Alice had only seen two futures for Bella, and now I understood them both.

Loving here would not stop me from killing her, if I let myself make mistakes.

Yet I could not feel the monster now, could not find him anywhere in me.

Perhaps love had silenced him forever, If I killed her now, it would not be intentional, only a horrible accident.

I would have to be inordinately careful. I would never ever be able to let my guard down. I would have to control my every breath. I would have to keep at a cautious distance.

I would not make mistakes. I finally understood that second future. I'd been baffled by that vision-what could possibly happen to result Bella becoming a prisoner to this immortal half-life?

Now devastated by longing for the girl- I could understand why I might, in unforgivable selfishness, ask my father for that favor. Ask him to take away her life and her soul so that I could keep her forever.

She deserved better.

But I aw one more future, one thin wire that I might be able to walk, if I could keep my balance.

Could I do it? Be with her and leave her human?

Deliberately, I took a deep breath, and then another, letting her scent rip through me like wildfire. The room was thick with her perfume; her fragrance was layered on every surface. My head swam, but I fought the spinning, I would have to get used to this, if I were going to attempt any kind of relationship with her. I took another, deep, burning breath.

I watched her sleeping until the sun rose, behind the eastern clouds, plotting and breathing.

_To those people who didn't want to read the extract fro Midnight Sun… all that happened there was a loooonnnggg description of how much Edward loves Bella. And how he totally has the wrong idea about what Bella is…_

_Yaarrrppp. _

_-mAkEnNa_


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